pMDI Research Scientist Imagine Everything. Build the Future with Hexion. At Hexion, we push boundaries, rethink possibilities, and create real impact. We activate science to deliver progress—developing breakthrough solutions that strengthen industries, protect communities, and drive a more sustainable future. This is where bold thinkers, problem-solvers, and innovators come together to shape what's next. Whether you're engineering advanced materials, transforming manufacturing technologies, or leading strategic innovation, your ideas and actions leave a lasting mark. We cultivate an inclusive culture of growth, collaboration, and accountability, ensuring every contribution propels us forward. We don't follow the status quo—we challenge it, disrupt it, and improve it. Every role at Hexion is part of something bigger. We invest in innovation, sustainability, and continuous development—equipping you with the tools, training, and opportunities to excel. With an unwavering commitment to safety, partnership, belonging, and impact, we empower you to lead change and strengthen industries worldwide. Your Future Starts Here. If you're ready to push limits, reimagine what's possible, and create the extraordinary, Hexion is where you belong. Anything is possible when you imagine everything.
Position Overview:
The pMDI Research Scientist leads high-impact laboratory research that advances polymeric methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (pMDI) technologies for engineered wood and related adhesive applications. This role combines deep materials and adhesive science with artificial intelligence, data science, and experimental modeling to generate new predictive models that accelerate discovery and optimize resin performance, manufacturing cost, and mill productivity.
Job Responsibilities:
Lead laboratory research on pMDI resin systems, including neat resin, aqueous suspensions, emulsions, and related binder technologies for wood composite applications such as OSB, MDF, particleboard, and adjacent materials. Design and execute experiments that link formulation, processing, and substrate variables to adhesive performance, including moisture, press time, resin loading, viscosity, emulsion stability, penetration behavior, and wood-furnish characteristics. Integrate artificial intelligence, machine learning, and advanced analytics with laboratory research to generate predictive models that optimize bond performance, process efficiency, raw-material usage, and total cost in wood-mill operations. Develop structure-property-process understanding for pMDI systems using analytical, thermal, rheological, microscopy, and mechanical testing methods. Interpret laboratory and pilot data to define performance windows, identify root causes, and uncover opportunities for product and process optimization. Translate research findings into practical recommendations for scale-up, plant trials, manufacturing implementation, and customer-facing technical support. Partner cross-functionally with R&D, process engineering, manufacturing, commercial teams, and external stakeholders to align innovation priorities with business strategy and mill-performance goals. Document experimental methods, model outputs, conclusions, and next steps in technical reports, presentations, and project updates while maintaining high standards for laboratory safety, environmental stewardship, and compliance.
Key Responsibilites: Plan, prioritize, and execute hands-on laboratory programs focused on pMDI formulation, application, and performance improvement. Investigate curing mechanisms and reaction pathways involving isocyanate chemistry, water interactions, and wood-surface functionality. Develop and optimize aqueous pMDI suspension or emulsion systems with attention to stability, viscosity growth, processing windows, and final bond performance. Build and refine AI- and data-driven models using laboratory, pilot, and manufacturing data to predict adhesive behavior, optimize formulations, and improve mill throughput, quality, and cost performance. Evaluate bonding performance using relevant test methods such as internal bond, dimensional stability, pull-off, lap-shear, and other application-specific metrics. Characterize material behavior using techniques such as viscosity measurement, thermal analysis, microscopy, spectroscopy, surface analysis, and imaging methods to understand penetration, wetting, and interfacial interactions. Apply rigorous data analysis, statistical methods, and design of experiments to convert complex findings into clear technical conclusions and actionable recommendations. Partner with manufacturing and process teams to define trial plans, critical variables, risk-mitigation actions, and scale-up pathways for implementation in wood-mill environments. Prepare technical summaries and present results to leadership, project teams, and commercial partners with decision-support insights grounded in both scientific and model-based evidence. Monitor scientific, patent, regulatory, and competitive developments in pMDI, wood adhesives, AI-enabled materials research, and formaldehyde-free binder technologies to inform innovation strategy. Contribute to intellectual property generation, technical publications, and knowledge capture as appropriate. Support troubleshooting of product or process issues by identifying root causes and proposing corrective actions in collaboration with internal and external partners.
Qualifications and Experience Required: Ph.D. in Polymer Science, Polymer Chemistry, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Wood Science, Data-Enabled Materials Research, or a closely related technical discipline; or M.S. with significant directly relevant industrial research experience. 10+ years of experience in polymer, adhesive, isocyanate, polyurethane, or related reactive resin research and development. Demonstrated expertise in structure-property relationships, formulation science, laboratory experimentation, and translating data into practical product and process insight. Experience applying statistical analysis, design of experiments, modeling, and/or artificial intelligence tools to research, development, or manufacturing optimization problems. Hands-on experience with material characterization and performance testing relevant to reactive resin systems. Strong technical writing, problem-solving, and communication skills with the ability to influence technical and non-technical stakeholders. Working knowledge of laboratory safety practices and chemical handling requirements for reactive materials.
Nearest Major Market: Columbus Nearest Secondary Market: Dublin
