R&D Engineer Consumer Tread Compounds

R&D Engineer Consumer Tread Compounds

Bridgestone

Rome, Italy

About the role:

We are looking for a position as an R&D Engineer for Tread Compound Development team, within MID – Material Innovation and Development organization.

The R&D engineer will lead efforts to develop and validate new compounds for Bridgestone consumer and commercial products, in line with Product Performance RoadMap and with Corporate Sustainability Roadmap.

Specifically, she/he will join the team responsible for all casing compound line-up in Consumer and Commercial area from ideation up to first industrial scale production of the compound, and to provide technical support to BSEMEA operations.

Job purpose:

In this position, she/he will be responsible to manage new Tread compound development programs realizing virtual and physical tire prototypes for performances assessment, leading FMEA preparation and definition/execution of validation plan, promote and support new lab testing procedures and release technologies to next gate for introduction in production plants.

At same time she/he will contribute to shape the technology and process streams needed for future technology roadmap in close collaboration with MID specialists, Raw material team, Material Lab team and Academia.

Also, she/he will support manufacturing operations by contributing to compound processability and/or performance improvement whenever required.

Responsibilities:

• To contribute to Tread technical roadmap of Consumer domain through compound design and validation activities as per project assignments.
• To execute and secure risk analysis for application on tire for the assigned tread compound development projects.
• Organization and management of Design Review meetings/presentations to involved stakeholders/ and to management.
• Support and trigger discussion on new technology needs and characterization methodologies to Raw Materials, Material Lab, Tread and casing Technology validation teams.
• To contribute to Bridgestone Sustainability roadmap realization.
• To contribute to digital mindset and digital designing approach spreading.
• To identify and support implementation of efficiency opportunities in Way of Working and processes.
• To participate in identifying and launching innovation projects within MID and more in general in R&D.
• Work effectively with R&D researchers, technicians and management of Bridgestone Technical Center Europe, actively taking part to R&D cross-functional teams.
• Collaborate with Bridgestone Corporate Functions, Bridgestone America and Bridgestone Japan, Bridgestone EMIA manufacturing plants.
• Work and interact with Bridgestone external partners such as academia, research institutes and lab equipment providers.

Qualifications and Experience required:

Education:

• Master’s Degree in Materials Engineering, Materials Science, Chemistry, Industrial Chemistry, Polymers Physics.
• PhD in materials and/or polymers science is highly appreciated.

Experience:

• Proven experience at least on one of the following fields: polymers science and technology, rubber chemicals, filler technology development in tire industry, rubber goods.
• Tread and/or casing compound or material development experience within tyre/rubber industry is highly appreciated.

Technical skills:

• Analytical skill, Logic Thinking and strong mechanism understanding mindset.
• Digital mindset: solid knowledge of MS Office package and preferably knowledge of digital software as Minitab, Matlab, Python.
• Experience with simulation tools in the field of Computational Chemistry and/or FEM is a plus.

Languages skills:

• Fluency in written and spoken English is mandatory.

Soft/behavioural skills:

• Ability to work at global level with multicultural environment.
• Problem solving and project management skills.
• Results oriented, self-motivated, creative and collaborative.
• Curiosity, think-out-of-the-box mindset, willingness to learn from new and often unprecedented technical challenges.
• Ability to work with different pace, timeframe, organizations: with long term innovation as well as with supply crisis management, with other R&D entities as well as plants.