JOB TITLE: Product Development Materials Engineer
Reports to the VP of New Product Development

Position summary:
A Product Development Materials Engineer is responsible for supporting research and development of new dental materials, product enhancements and product redesign with the focus on dental materials used in restorative and preventative dentistry. The position requires planning and coordination of testing, analyzing data, and collaborating with external partners and other teams to ensure the materials meet clinical requirements, safety standards, and market demands. This position requires exercising independent judgment to perform the responsibilities described herein. This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required by the employee.

JOB DESCRIPTION:
Key responsibilities may include:
• Originating new products in concert with customer needs and business model
• Designing and creating new dental material compositions, optimizing properties, biocompatibility, and performance.
• Overseeing key projects, processes and performance reports, data and analysis
• Negotiating contracts with consulting firms, universities, individuals, and labs to perform research or other applicable studies or support
• Collaborating with dental professionals to conduct user evaluations to assess products’ performance.
• Staying updated on the latest advancements in dental materials science by reviewing scientific literature and identifying potential new technologies.
• Contributing to the development and protection of new patents related to dental material innovations.
• Refining manufacturing processes to ensure consistent quality and scalability of dental materials.
• Ensuring that new dental materials comply with relevant regulatory standards (FDA, ISO) throughout the development process.
• Working closely with teams like product development, marketing, quality control, and clinical research to bring new dental materials to market.

Required skills and qualifications:
• A minimum of eight years in product development of medical device and/or oral care products; candidates with Professional Dental Products market experience preferred;
• Must understand materials science, including properties, testing methods, and manufacturing processes. Preferred candidates have experience with restorative and preventative dental products, such as bioactive materials, composite materials, dental cements and adhesives, dentifrices, varnishes, 3D printing materials, etc.,
• Experience with experimental design, data analysis, and scientific literature review;
• Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical data with emphasis on physical and performance testing of materials and validation of therapeutic formulations;
• Demonstrate a familiarity with current FDA device regulations;
• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
• Project management skills; will have demonstrated the ability to push projects over the finish line with sound planning and persistent execution; will understand how to align resources, seek the input of key constituents, and manage others to achieve desired results;
• Ability to effectively communicate technical findings to both technical and non-technical audiences;
• Capability to troubleshoot complex issues and develop solutions during the development process;
• Open and collaborative style; must be comfortable working in an environment where ideas are shared and challenged;
• Energy and enthusiasm; candidates must find the work “fun” and enjoy being accountable and willing to hold others accountable;
• Ability to travel within United States with limited opportunity to travel internationally.

Education:
PhD or Master’s Degree in materials science, chemistry, chemical engineering, or a related field with a strong focus on polymer science. PhD is preferred.

Contact Karen Giannone if interested, or if you need more information.