Lead Scientist (m/f/d) – Product Development Healthcare

Job description

Job Title: Lead Scientist (m/f/d) – Product Development Healthcare Summary: In this role you will lead the planning, execution, and management of multiple product development projects focused on silicone elastomers for healthcare applications, with particular emphasis on medical liquid silicone rubber (LSR) for medical devices and soft silicone adhesives for advanced wound care, as well as selected activities in long-term implant applications. As an experienced scientist and laboratory leader, you will drive both New Product and Process Development Initiatives (NPDI) and broader technology platform development, delivering innovative technical solutions for customer-specific programs and future-oriented healthcare technologies. Working closely with customers, validation partners, and cross-functional teams including Marketing, Sales, Manufacturing, Quality, and Product Stewardship, you will ensure successful project execution from concept through commercialization. The role requires strong scientific and technical leadership, the ability to evaluate complex challenges, prioritize activities based on business impact, and make sound decisions in environments characterized by ambiguity, evolving requirements, and incomplete information. In addition, you will identify opportunities for platform expansion, process improvements, and product innovation to strengthen the healthcare materials portfolio and support long-term business growth. Responsibilities Include: Active engagement in EHS management systems and compliance with EHS procedures; implementation of safety thinking in daily work. Independent planning, execution and management of multiple projects in parallel, including projects of strategic and commercial relevance for the Healthcare segment. Driving sustainable technology developments with focus on new silicone elastomer products and applications for healthcare, especially medical LSR and soft silicone adhesive technologies. Leading the technology workstream of NPDI projects as technology owner and ensuring robust project execution, prioritization, documentation and timely progress. Developing technical solutions for near-term customer programs and for broader platform development in support of future growth. Close collaboration with selected customers and validation partners, together with Segment Marketing and Sales, to identify and prioritize business opportunities, voice-of-customer inputs and critical-to-quality requirements. Building and maintaining a detailed understanding of customer needs, application requirements, market trends and relevant product portfolios in the medical devices and advanced wound care space. Formulating, characterizing, testing and scaling up silicone-based materials and systems, including formulation development, rheology, curing behavior, analytical characterization, application testing and troubleshooting. Managing complex, multi-variable development work with conflicting CTQs, including trade-offs related to performance, processability, manufacturability and regulatory constraints. Applying statistical thinking and design-of-experiments approaches to accelerate learning, improve robustness and support sound technical decisions. Identifying and implementing robust quality-related methods and test approaches for new products in collaboration with QA/QC and Manufacturing. Ensuring appropriate technical reporting and documentation, including laboratory notebooks, technical reports, visit reports, project summaries and other relevant development records. Contributing to intellectual property generation through invention disclosures and collaboration with IP colleagues to strengthen freedom-to-operate awareness and understanding of relevant IP landscapes. Working closely with Marketing, Sales, QA/QC, Manufacturing, Product Stewardship and other relevant functions to enable efficient development, qualification and launch of new products and technologies. Leading and developing lab technicians (after onboarding), including prioritization of work, coaching, performance feedback, training support and delegation of clearly defined work packages or sub-projects. Planning, organizing and steering laboratory activities in assigned areas in compliance with local legal and site requirements. Communicating program results, recommendations and technical risks effectively to broader business and technology audiences, including non-technical stakeholders when required. Representing the company at technical meetings, customer interactions and selected external technical events, as appropriate. #LI-KG1 Qualifications: The following are required for the role PhD in Polymer Science, Materials Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering or related technical discipline Extensive relevant industrial R&D / product development experience in elastomers, rubbers or closely related materials systems Proven ability to independently manage multiple projects simultaneously Strong technical background in elastomer or rubber product development, including formulation development and structure-property-performance understanding Hands-on experience with formulation, rheology, curing behavior and systematic experimental design Strong communication skills and ability to work effectively across technical and non-technical functions Strong problem-solving capability, sound judgment and ability to make decisions with incomplete information Demonstrated ability to work independently, learn quickly and operate effectively in ambiguous environments Strong impact orientation and ability to prioritize activities based on business value rather than unnecessary perfectionism Entrepreneurial and results-driven mindset Experience collaborating in cross-functional development environments F luent English, written and spoken The following are preferred skills for the role: Experience in silicone elastomers, especially medical LSR Experience with soft silicone adhesives, pressure-sensitive adhesive systems, release liners, coating processes and/or adhesion testing Experience in medical devices, advanced wound care and/or adjacent long-term implant applications Experience in direct technical interaction with customers Familiarity with ISO 9001 and/or ISO 13485 environments Validation mindset and familiarity with the discipline required in regulated or quality-sensitive application areas Six Sigma knowledge; Green Belt certification is advantageous German language skills are preferred but not required Familiarity with SAP and standard Microsoft Office tools What We Offer: Base Pay Range: €91.200 - €133.760 Compensation for this role will be competitive and aligned with market practices in the respective location. Actual pay is determined based on several factors, including but not limited to experience, education, skills, and geographic location. Where applicable country-specific salary ranges will be communicated during the hiring process based on local pay transparency regulations. If you are interested in this position, we’d ask that you apply! #BePartoftheSolution This role may also be eligible for variable incentive compensation. Any such incentives are governed by the terms of the Company’s applicable plans and are based on company performance and/or individual performance. At Momentive, we value your well-being and offer competitive total rewards and development programs. Our inclusive culture fosters a strong sense of belonging and provides diverse career opportunities to help you unleash your full potential. Together, through innovative problem-solving and collaboration, we strive to create sustainable solutions that make a meaningful impact. Join our Momentive team to open a bright future. About Us: Momentive is a premier global advanced materials company with a cutting-edge focus on silicones and specialty products. We deliver solutions designed to help propel our customer’s products forward—products that have a profound impact on all aspects of life, around the clock and from living rooms to outer space. With every innovation, Momentive creates a more sustainable future. Our vast product portfolio is made up of advanced silicones and specialty solutions that play an essential role in driving performance across a multitude of industries, including agriculture, automotive, aerospace, electronics, energy, healthcare, personal care, consumer products, building and construction, and more. Momentive believes a diverse workforce empowers our people, strengthens our business, and contributes to a sustainable world. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer . Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any characteristic protected by law. To be considered for this position candidates are required to submit an application for employment and be of legal working age as defined by local law . An offer may be conditioned upon the successful completion of pre-employment conditions, as applicable, and subject to applicable laws and regulations . Note to third parties: Momentive is not seeking or accepting any unsolicited assistance from search and selection firms or employment agencies at this time.