About this role
Dow's Packaging & Specialty Plastics (P&SP) business is seeking an Associate Technical Service & Development Scientist, based in Shanghai, China. This role accelerates growth of the Elastomers and HPC businesses in Greater China (Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan), with primary applications in Infrastructure, Consumer, and Transportation (ICT). You will partner closely with Sales, Marketing, and—where needed—Product Management to drive customer- and application-side growth, while exploring and developing new, high-potential applications aligned with P&SP’s strategy. Success requires hands-on customer engagement, rigorous technical execution, and cross-functional collaboration to qualify and commercialize solutions in an increasingly competitive market.
Key Responsibilities
•Focus on ICT applications in Greater China: Identify, prioritize, and execute technical service and development activities in infrastructure, consumer, and transportation segments to protect and expand share.
•Internal coordination: Maintain strong, timely communication with Commercial (Sales, Marketing) and, when necessary, Product Management to align opportunity pipelines, project priorities, and commercialization plans.
•External customer engagement: Work side-by-side with Sales at customer sites to retain existing business and win new customers/applications through trials, troubleshooting, and performance validation under competitive pressure.
•Customer support discipline: Uphold excellent documentation practices (call reports, trial plans, test protocols, and data summaries)
maintain application IP awareness, safeguarding protectable know‑how and supporting IP‑compliant development.
•Technology alignment: Communicate proactively and frequently with the Application Technology Leader (ATL) and Product Technology Leader (PTL) to align on roadmaps, escalate technical risks, and coordinate resources for rapid problem resolution.
•Project delivery: Scope, plan, and execute customer trials
lead root‑cause analysis for quality/performance issues
define and reduce cost drivers while meeting performance targets and qualification criteria.
•Opportunity development: Discover and assess new application spaces
convert qualified opportunities into projects
manage stage gates through product qualification and commercialization with clear success metrics.
•Compliance & safety: Model safe lab/field practices and adhere to company policies, quality standards, and regulatory requirements across all customer and internal activities.
•Business reporting: Track and communicate progress via CRM/project tools (e.g., win/loss, share retention, milestone status), delivering clear monthly updates to stakeholders.
Qualifications
•Education: MSc or PhD in Polymer Physics, Polymer Modification, Materials Science, or closely related fields.
•Experience: ≥5 years of relevant industry experience in elastomers/HPC and technical service or application development, ideally within ICT markets in Greater China.
•Thinking & judgment: Demonstrated strong logical reasoning and independent judgment
comfortable making well‑reasoned, calculated risk decisions in ambiguous, fast‑moving situations.
•Communication: Fluent English (spoken and written) with clear, structured communication
Mandarin proficiency is a plus for customer interactions across Greater China.
•Team mindset: Highly collaborative with a strong sense of teamwork
able to challenge constructively and avoid groupthink to reach the best technical/business outcomes.
•Mobility: Willing to travel ~30% domestically (with occasional regional travel as needed).
Your Skills
•Technical Leadership: have a strong background in Elastomer and Polymer Modification. Set technical direction for projects
influence outcomes through expertise and sound decision‑making.
•Customer Orientation: Translate customer needs into fit‑for‑purpose solutions that deliver measurable value and sustain/expand share.
•Teamwork & Cross‑functional Collaboration: Work seamlessly with Sales, Marketing, Product Management, Supply Chain, Production, and QA/QC to achieve business goals.
•Project Management: Plan, prioritize, and execute development projects
manage timelines, risks, and stage gates to commercialization.
•Analytical Skills: Design and analyze experiments (e.g., DOE, regression) to optimize formulations and processes
make data‑driven recommendations.
•Problem Solving: Lead troubleshooting across formulation, scale‑up, and production
apply root‑cause analysis to resolve technical challenges efficiently.
•Communication & Presentation: Distill complex technical topics into clear, audience‑appropriate messages for customers and internal stakeholders.
•Self‑Motivation & Ownership: Proactively drive projects and opportunity pipelines with minimal supervision
sustain momentum to deliver results.
•Continuous Learning: Stay current on materials science, processing technologies, market trends, and competitive landscape relevant to elastomers/HPC.
•Adaptability: Adjust quickly to changing scopes, customer priorities, and market dynamics
pivot resources to the highest‑value opportunities.
Additional Notes
•This role is based in Shanghai, and no relocation support is provided.
•The position supports Greater China with close collaboration across regional commercial and technology teams.
