Senior R&D Scientist, Yankee Coating and Creping

Job description

Join Georgia-Pacific’s Research & Development team at the Neenah Technical Center as a Senior R&D Scientist , focused on advancing Yankee coating and creping technologies for tissue and towel manufacturing. Turn deep technical expertise into the next generation of tissue and towel manufacturing solutions. This role is ideal for an experienced professional in Yankee coating and creping, tissue and towel manufacturing, or industrial coatings who enjoys solving difficult problems and bringing new ideas to life. You’ll lead experimentation from pilot through commercial scale, optimize coating chemistry and creping conditions, evaluate new technologies, and partner with manufacturing teams to solve real-world operating challenges. Your expertise in chemical applications will also help uncover opportunities to improve performance across the broader tissue and towel process. Our Team You will join a multidisciplinary technology development team at Georgia-Pacific Consumer Products spanning fiber, papermaking, chemistry, and converting. Working with internal functions and external partners, the team explores emerging technologies, builds lasting technical knowledge, and accelerates learning. Together, we shape long-term technology strategy and translate innovation into practical solutions for tissue and towel manufacturing. What You Will Do Become a technical leader in Yankee coating and creping, including coating chemistry, adhesion and release, Yankee protection, application systems, creping conditions, doctor-blade interactions, and machine and product performance. Use economic thinking to prioritize opportunities and communicate progress, implications, risks, and next steps to technical and business audiences. Plan and lead pilot-scale and commercial machine trials, including objectives, success criteria, risks, execution, data analysis, troubleshooting, and recommendations. Develop application knowledge connecting chemistry, preparation and delivery, equipment, operating conditions, raw materials, and finished - product performance. Provide technical application and troubleshooting support in pilot and mill environments to diagnose and resolve coating, creping, and chemical - application challenges. Evaluate supplier technologies and develop an independent view of their performance, requirements, limitations, risks, and value for Georgia-Pacific. Partner across Operations, Engineering, Product Development, Product Stewardship, Sourcing, Suppliers, and Equipment Manufacturers to implement and optimize technologies. Who You Are (Basic Qualifications) Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Paper Science, Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related technical field with five (5) or more years of relevant industrial experience – OR - Advanced Degree (Master’s or PhD) with two (2) or more years of relevant industrial experience in tissue manufacturing, paper manufacturing, or adjacent coating industry . Hands-on experience applying chemical technologies in pilot, manufacturing, or commercial process environments, including leading trials and troubleshooting problems . Ability to analyze data, identify interactions among chemistry, equipment, process, and product performance, and translate findings into clear recommendations. Ability to collaborate effectively with manufacturing, engineering, suppliers, and cross-functional technical teams. Willing and able to travel 25% of the time. What Will Put You Ahead Expertise in Yankee coating and creping, including adhesives, release agents, coating modifiers, Yankee protection, application, and/or creping optimization. Tissue and towel manufacturing experience with strong understanding of machine, chemistry, and finished-sheet interactions. Demonstrated success partnering with universities, suppliers, research organizations, or equipment manufacturers to accelerate technology adoption. Experience using AI-enabled tools, modeling, or data analytics to accelerate experimentation or support technical decision-making. At Koch companies, we are entrepreneurs. This means we openly challenge the status quo, find new ways to create value and get rewarded for our individual contributions. Any compensation range provided for a role is an estimate determined by available market data. The actual amount may be higher or lower than the range provided considering each candidate's knowledge, skills, abilities, and geographic location. If you have questions, please speak to your recruiter about the flexibility and detail of our compensation philosophy. Hiring Philosophy All Koch companies value diversity of thought, perspectives, aptitudes, experiences, and backgrounds. We are Military Ready and Second Chance employers. Learn more about our hiring philosophy here . Who We Are As a Koch company and a leading manufacturer of bath tissue, paper towels, paper-based packaging, cellulose, specialty fibers, building products and much more, Georgia-Pacific works to meet e volving needs of customers worldwide with quality products. In addition to the products we make, we operate one of the largest recycling businesses. Our more than 30,000 employees in over 150 locations are empowered to innovate every day –to make everyday products even better. At Koch, employees are empowered to do what they do best to make life better. Learn how our business philosophy helps employees unleash their potential while creating value for themselves and the company. Our Benefits Our goal is for each employee, and their families, to live fulfilling and healthy lives. We provide essential resources and support to build and maintain physical, financial, and emotional strength - focusing on overall wellbeing so you can focus on what matters most. Our benefits plan includes - medical, dental, vision, flexible spending and health savings accounts, life insurance, ADD, disability, retirement, paid vacation/time off, educational assistance, and may also include infertility assistance, paid parental leave and adoption assistance. Specific eligibility criteria is set by the applicable Summary Plan Description, policy or guideline and benefits may vary by geographic region. If you have questions on what benefits apply to you, please speak to your recruiter. Additionally, everyone has individual work and personal needs. We seek to enable the best work environment that helps you and the business work together to produce superior results. Equal Opportunities Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and protected veteran status. Except where prohibited by state law, some offers of employment are conditioned upon successfully passing a drug test. This employer uses E-Verify. Please click here for additional information. (For Illinois E-Verify information click here , aquí , or tu ). Apply now Share Email Facebook X LinkedIn