jobiwork
Owens Corning
From company careers site

Material Conversion R&D Leader

Location
West Chicago, IL, US
Work mode
On-site
Employment type
Full-time

About the job

The Material Conversion R&D Leader provides technical and people leadership for material‑to‑process conversion within Doors R&D. This role is accountable for translating material concepts into scalable, manufacturable processes for interior and exterior door systems. Success requires strong critical thinking, engineering judgment, and structured problem‑solving to navigate ambiguity, evaluate trade‑offs, and make sound decisions that balance performance, cost, risk, and manufacturability.

JOB DESCRIPTION The Material Conversion R&D Leader leads the material conversion capability within the Material and Process Innovation (MPI) organization, owning technical direction and execution across material‑to‑process development programs. This role bridges materials science, process development, and manufacturing execution to ensure new materials and processes are industrialized successfully. The position leads a multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers and serves as a senior technical authority for material conversion decisions. The leader partners closely with Product Engineering, Tooling, Operations, Quality, and Supply Chain to ensure solutions are developed with a clear understanding of manufacturing constraints, scalability, and long‑term robustness. Operating in a technically complex and ambiguous environment, the role applies scientific rigor and critical thinking to evaluate incomplete data, manage technical risk, and guide teams from concept through pilot validation and manufacturing scale‑up. The position balances near‑term business needs with longer‑term innovation while ensuring solutions can be effectively transferred to operations.

DIRECT REPORTS Leads a team of scientists and engineers responsible for material conversion research, process development, pilot trials, and technology transfer to manufacturing.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead and develop the Material Conversion R&D team, setting clear technical direction, expectations, and priorities aligned with Doors R&D.

  • Lead and develop the Material Conversion R&D team, setting clear technical direction, expectations, and priorities aligned with Doors R&D.

• Lead material conversion programs and portfolios through the team, ensuring alignment of people, resources, timelines, and deliverables to achieve program objectives.

  • Lead material conversion programs and portfolios through the team, ensuring alignment of people, resources, timelines, and deliverables to achieve program objectives.
  • Establish technical direction for process architectures, equipment platforms, and automation strategies, ensuring scalability, robustness, and long‑term manufacturability.

• Apply engineering judgment and critical thinking to guide teams in evaluating throughput, capacity, cycle time, yield, uptime, quality, cost, safety, and sustainability trade‑offs.

  • Apply engineering judgment and critical thinking to guide teams in evaluating throughput, capacity, cycle time, yield, uptime, quality, cost, safety, and sustainability trade‑offs.
  • Partner with Business, Operations, Tooling, Automation, Controls, Maintenance, Quality, and EHS teams to ensure programs are designed for real‑world manufacturing conditions, operator interaction, maintainability, and lifecycle cost.
  • Lead scale‑up from lab to pilot to manufacturing by guiding teams in defining process windows, operating envelopes, control strategies, start‑up/shutdown conditions, and readiness criteria.
  • Identify, assess, and mitigate technical and operational risks across programs related to equipment capability, process robustness, automation reliability, material variability, and plant integration.

• Guide pilot‑scale and manufacturing trials, ensuring teams generate high‑quality, decision‑ready data that supports qualification, scale‑up decisions, and long‑term process control.

  • Guide pilot‑scale and manufacturing trials, ensuring teams generate high‑quality, decision‑ready data that supports qualification, scale‑up decisions, and long‑term process control.
  • Oversee development and implementation of SOPs, work instructions, and process documentation, ensuring safe operation, training effectiveness, and successful technology transfer.

• Collaborate with Quality and Operations to define critical process parameters, control plans, monitoring strategies, and response plans that ensure consistent product performance.

  • Collaborate with Quality and Operations to define critical process parameters, control plans, monitoring strategies, and response plans that ensure consistent product performance.

• Serve as a senior technical escalation point, supporting teams in resolving complex process, equipment, automation, and operational readiness challenges.

  • Serve as a senior technical escalation point, supporting teams in resolving complex process, equipment, automation, and operational readiness challenges.

SKILLS AND ABILITIES Demonstrated depth in material conversion and manufacturing systems, with the ability to understand how materials, equipment, automation, and plant systems interact as an integrated whole. Strong aptitude for systems‑level thinking, enabling evaluation of process behavior, variability, and constraints across pilot and manufacturing environments. Solid working knowledge of manufacturing fundamentals, process control concepts, and operational standards necessary to support stable, repeatable, and safe production. Advanced critical thinking and engineering judgment, with the ability to synthesize technical data, operational considerations, and business constraints to make sound decisions in ambiguous situations. Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, including the ability to challenge assumptions, assess risk, and determine practical paths forward when information is incomplete. Effective communication and influence skills to convey complex technical concepts clearly and align stakeholders. Demonstrated leadership maturity, learning agility, and a safety‑first mindset, with the resilience required to operate in dynamic, high‑accountability environments.

EDUCATION Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Polymer Science, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical discipline required. Advanced degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) preferred and may substitute for a portion of relevant experience.

EXPERIENCE 5+ years of industrial experience in Research & Development, process development, and/or manufacturing environments, including demonstrated experience in pilot‑scale development, manufacturing scale‑up, and cross‑functional technical leadership. Prior experience leading technical teams or serving as a technical decision maker in complex manufacturing systems is required.

The base salary range for this position is $124,000 to $161,420, with the potential for up to an additional x% if the applicant hired has additional related qualifications. We also offer a substantial benefits package including insurance (medical/dental/vision/life/disability/supplemental offerings), 401k (company contribution regardless of employee participation – plus match), paid time off that considers full professional tenure (vacation, personal floating and standard holidays), Employee Assistance Services, Stock Purchase Program – and more.

#LI-JP1 #LI-ONSITE

About Owens Corning Owens Corning is a branded building products leader with three complementary market-leading businesses providing roofing, insulation, and doors primarily for residential markets in North America and Europe. The company operates with an integrated go-to-market strategy and a unique set of OC Advantages™ – including its iconic brand, unparalleled commercial strength, leading technology, and winning cost position – to help customers win and grow in the market. Owens Corning is committed to helping build better and achieve more through winning partnerships, leading performance, and engaging people. Founded in 1938 and headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, Owens Corning is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: OC). For more information, visit www.owenscorning.com . Owens Corning is an equal opportunity employer. Except in limited circumstances such as formal apprenticeship programs, Owens Corning does not employ anyone under the age of 18.

From Owens Corning's careers page (Company careers page), checked 30 Oct 2026.

How to apply

  1. Select Apply on owenscorning.com. It opens Owens Corning's own application form in a new tab, run on Company careers page.
  2. Fill in the form and upload your résumé there. Jobiwork never sees your application.
  3. Owens Corning will reply to you directly. No real employer asks you for money to apply.

Posted 29 Oct 2026 · checked 30 Oct 2026 · Report this job

Get new Other jobs in West Chicago by email

Free account: job alerts, every search result and full descriptions. No phone number, no résumé upload.

Create job alert

Similar jobs

Companies hiring in West Chicago

All jobs in West Chicago →