Company Overview

Bridgestone Americas, Inc. (BSAM), headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, and Bridgestone Europe, Middle East and Africa (BSEMEA), headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, operate collectively as a “Bridgestone West” strategic region. This region services the strategic business needs of teams across the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa. BSAM and BSEMEA are subsidiaries of Bridgestone Corporation, globally headquartered in Japan. Bridgestone and its subsidiaries develop, manufacture and market a wide range of Bridgestone, Firestone and associate brand products and solutions to address the needs of a broad range of customers and industries.

Engineering & Science

This position is within the Polymer Performance group at the Bridgestone Americas Center for Research and Technology, located at the Americas Technology Center in Akron, OH. The Senior Material Scientist will work in a fast-paced and collaborative environment, developing new polymers and physical testing methods. This position is expected to contribute to the development of material structure/property relationships needed for new polymer development and make recommendations for optimal polymer structure. The ideal candidate will have education and work experience in the discipline of polymer and material science. The role will require working in and/or leading multidisciplinary project teams of scientists and engineers to meet the needs of customers and stakeholders.

• Proposes and researches potential new technologies, products, innovative concepts, and testing methods by developing and investigating theories on the physical and chemical properties of polymers and materials for tire applications
• Follows the scientific method in their research, utilizes open literature to understand the state-of-the-art science, developing hypothesis, testing to create useful models applicable for innovative polymer technology development
• Utilizes principles of design of experiments to develop structure/property relationships needed to understand the performance of new polymers in rubber compounds for tire applications and makes recommendations for optimizing polymer structures
• Collaborates with advanced compound engineers to understand needed technology for tire compounds that meet the needs of end-use customers and provides input to the polymer synthesis group on polymer structures which will meet those needs
• Participates and eventually coordinates and oversees the execution of projects across multiple business units
• Coordinates efforts to support experimental tire builds and testing for polymer proof concept
• Prepares research proposals, technical specifications, reports and presentations, and specifies laboratory test equipment and processes
• Supports the company's IP portfolio by drafting and reviewing invention disclosures, supporting the development of patent applications, and providing technical expertise to the legal department
• Makes recommendations concerning acquisition and use of new technological equipment and materials
• Supports relationships through strong communication and negotiation skills with internal and external stakeholders
• Mentors junior scientists in their projects
• Presents technical topics to non-technical teammates/management in a clear and concise manner

Minimum Qualifications

• PhD in Polymer Science, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering or a similar degree
• Fundamental technical understanding of Polymer rheology and its application in tire rubber compounds
• Self-motivated and able to work effectively on multiple projects simultaneously
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Preferred Qualifications:

• Strong understanding of polymer and rubber physics
• Understanding of the tribology and rheology of rubber materials
• Knowledge of rubber compounding, mixing and raw materials
• Strong applied computing skills, including data manipulation & statistical analysis applications (e.g., Excel, Matlab, Minitab)

At Bridgestone, you are Free to Be

We believe people can only provide superior service and quality to others when they bring their whole self to work. We believe in championing all perspectives, individuals and teams because we understand the importance of seeing the world and our business through many different lenses. We are building a team as diverse as the world we serve. So, show us what you are made of, because who you are is what we need.

What we offer

At Bridgestone, what really matters is to foster co-creation opportunities and empowering you to be creative and curious to make mobility safer, more efficient, and more sustainable for future generations. Whatever role you fill, when you represent Bridgestone, you are a valued teammate, and part of our larger mission to “Serve Society with Superior Quality”, for that, we offer you more than just a competitive compensation; we will provide you:

• A supportive and engaging onboarding experience to ensure a smooth transition into our team.
• The opportunity to develop and grow, through training and regular mentorship.
• Corporate Social Responsibility activities.
• A truly global, dynamic and challenging work environment.
• Agility and work/life effectiveness and your long-term well-being.
• A diverse and inclusive team.

Bridgestone is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. It is our policy to consider for employment all individuals regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.

Employment Eligibility

If hired, a Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification must be completed at the start of employment. Temporary work authorization or the need for sponsorship may disqualify you from employment.