Job Description:

Senior Scientist Materials

Job Description

Senior Scientist Materials-Neenah, WI

Role Overview:

The primary purpose of this position is to support growth of the Personal Care brands through leading projects in development, commercialization and qualification of absorbent intake materials for use in Kimberly Clark Personal Care products.  This includes supporting absorbent intake strategy and successful translation into technical needs, knowledge gaps and plans.  Projects will be focused on absorbent materials which when incorporated into product deliver improved benefit to the consumer, maintaining supply continuity or cost savings.  This role will work in conjunction with the PC R&E Product and Process Teams, Project Teams, K-C Global NonWovens Teams, Mill Teams and other PC cross-functional organizations.  The candidate reports to an R&E Sr. Manager and works closely with an absorbent materials team as part of the personal care materials team.  The candidate should be able to develop their own working plans and will also provide work direction to other material developers.  As the entire Personal Care R&E Materials team works as one team, there may be a need to adjust accountabilities and flow to work in order to meet business priorities.

Customers:

NA PC R&E Product Teams, PC Marketing/Marketing Research, Global Procurement and PC Supply Chain including PC Plants

Key Responsibilities:

The role requires knowledge of materials and the performance relationship between primarily nonwoven materials and absorbent materials. Primary responsibility is to lead projects for absorbent intake materials for improved consumer benefits, cost savings and supply continuity needs.  Incumbent would work with internal and external suppliers to develop material solutions, prove technical feasibility and commercialize them. In addition, the role has responsibility for a portfolio of projects for near term absorbency, planning the work and providing coaching for junior scientists, become recognized as subject matter expertise in absorbent material qualification and hands-on leadership for one or more qualification projects.

• Collaborate with Personal Care R&E, Materials Value Stream, GNW, ST&C, Procurement, Supply Chain, Global R&E teams and Supply Chain teams in order to understand opportunity areas for absorbent intake materials, ensuring prioritized work is effectively progressed


• Lead projects for execution of intake strategy to support delivery of overall absorbent strategy.


• Collaborate with Personal Care IMF project teams and ensure development/commercialization work for absorbent intake materials is effectively progressed


• Be recognized as a subject matter expert and role model for absorbent intake materials project leadership and qualification.  Develop and demonstrate expertise in Kimberly-Clark systems required for moving projects forward


• Provide coaching and mentorship for more junior scientists increasing their capability.  Zoom-in as needed to ensure that priority projects are delivered


• Ensure all projects are delivered accurately and on time, proactively identifying potential issues and developing contingency plans.  Provide visibility of project status and priorities to leaders, customers and stakeholders as necessary


• Protect and defend K-C proprietary product and technology through the appropriate use of patents and trade secrets


• Serve as a leader needed to effectively deliver on overall organizational commitments of GADT (e.g. Global BCC liaisons lead)


• Ensure all work complies with corporate safety, quality, regulatory, product safety and sustainability requirements


• Support IA strategy for intake materials and lead successful implementation for absorbent intake materials and systems


• Collaborate with key material suppliers to develop relationship and technology to accelerate the meaningful solutions to our consumers and customers


• Communicate and influence effectively in written and verbal form with junior team members, peers and leadership team within and across functions

  

Qualifications:

Required

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college/university with 10+ years of experience


• Broad experiences in material development


• Successful qualification of materials or products for DtV and supply continuity


• Successfully lead commercialization of materials or product in market


• Proactive, solution-oriented, and results-driven leadership style


• Experience in executing consumer or technical / scientific studies


• Effectively communicates with leaders and influence leaders / team members across all levels of the organization


• Ability to provide work direction to team members not in a direct reporting relationship


• Demonstrated strengths in these skills: creativity, scientific experimentation methods, statistical analysis and planning/organizing


• Familiarity with LEAN, creative problem solving and rapid learning cycles or equivalent approaches

Preferred

• Understanding of Personal Care business contexts, objectives, and organizational priorities


• Ability to think strategically and prioritize when necessary


• Ability to drive collaboration and decisions


• Ability to manage effectively in fast-paced environment with frequent change


• Project and timeline management experience


• Proven subject matter expert of nonwoven materials and absorbent intake materials


• External vendor management experience


• Significant work experience in Research & Engineering organization, including experience in executing both consumer and technical studies


• Experience in all end-to-end stages of material development


• Understanding of PC products, brands, business and technologies


• Demonstrated mentoring skills

Other

0-20% Travel

No Direct Reports, Provides Work Direction to more junior materials scientists and developers

Kimberly-Clark and its well-known global brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 175 countries. Every day, 1.3 billion people - nearly a quarter of the world's population - trust K-C brands and the solutions they provide to enhance their health, hygiene, and well-being. With brands such as Kleenex, Scott, Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex, and Depend, Kimberly-Clark holds No.1 or No. 2 share positions in more than 80 countries. With more than 140 years of history of innovation, we believe in recruiting the best people and empowering them do their best work.  If fresh thinking and a passion to win inspire you, come Unleash Your Power at Kimberly-Clark. 

For Kimberly-Clark to grow and prosper, we must be an inclusive organization that applies the diverse experiences and passions of its team members to brands that make life better for people all around the world.  We actively seek to build a workforce that reflects the experiences of our consumers.  When you bring your original thinking to Kimberly-Clark, you fuel the continued success of our enterprise. We are a committed equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, pregnancy, genetic information, citizenship status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

The statements above are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employees assigned to this classification. Statements are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities and skills required for this position.

This position may require a post-offer/pre-hire Physical Abilities Test (PAT) to confirm that individuals are able to perform the essential functions of the job.

K-C requires that an employee have authorization to work in the country in which the role is based.  In the event an applicant does not have current work authorization, K-C will determine, in its sole discretion, whether to sponsor an individual for work authorization.  However, based on immigration requirements, not all roles are suitable for sponsorship. This position is subject to drug and alcohol testing, including pre-employment testing.

Global VISA and Relocation Specifications:

K-C will support intra-region relocation for the chosen candidate for the role, including assistance to obtain proper work authorization. The benefits provided will be per the terms of K-C’s applicable mobility policies. The benefits/policy provided will decided in K-C’s sole discretion.

Primary Location

USA-WI-Neenah

Additional Locations

Worker Type

Employee

Worker Sub-Type

Regular

Time Type

Full time

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