Impress employers and recruiters.
Choose from hundreds of resume examples.

Target Resume Now

About the Role

The Senior Materials Expert provides technical leadership and specialized expertise in metallic and polymeric materials to support product design optimization, innovation, and next-generation product development. This role collaborates closely with engineering, simulation, testing, sourcing, and manufacturing teams to identify, evaluate, qualify, and implement materials that enhance product performance, reliability, manufacturability, and cost competitiveness. Serving as a key resource for material selection, failure analysis, and technology roadmap development, the Senior Materials Expert helps drive material innovation across the organization.

Responsibilities

Investigate, evaluate, and recommend metallic and polymeric materials, including copper alloys, stainless steels, aluminum alloys, engineering thermoplastics, thermosets, elastomers and rubber materials, along with coatings and surface treatments.
Identify materials that improve electrical, thermal, mechanical, and environmental performance of existing products.
Support development of next‑generation connector technologies through material innovation aligned with long‑term R&D roadmaps.
Stay current with emerging materials, processing technologies, and industry trends relevant to electrical interconnect systems.
Evaluate and compare candidate materials by analyzing electrical conductivity, thermal performance, mechanical strength, fatigue, wear, corrosion resistance, flammability, and environmental durability.
Assess manufacturability including compatibility with stamping, injection molding, machining, plating, and assembly processes.
Evaluate cost, supplier capability, availability, and supply‑chain risk.
Document material selection rationale, risks, and mitigation strategies to support design reviews, DFMEA, qualification, and customer requirements.
Work closely with analysis and simulation engineers (structural, thermal, mold flow) to ensure accurate material properties and assumptions are used in simulation models.
Support correlation between material data, simulation predictions, and physical test results to improve design confidence.
Support material‑related failure analysis and simulation‑driven design optimization.
Define material test plans and acceptance criteria to support product validation and qualification.
Support root cause analysis of test failures and field issues related to material behavior.
Collaborate with internal and external test laboratories to evaluate material performance under mechanical, thermal, electrical, and environmental conditions.
Review material specifications, test reports, qualification documentation, and engineering standards.
Partner with manufacturing teams to ensure robust and repeatable material and process implementation.
Support sourcing teams in evaluating new suppliers, qualifying alternate materials, and managing material changes.
Support ECNs, cost‑reduction initiatives, and global product transfers involving material or process changes.
Create and maintain a centralized engineering materials database for metals, plastics, elastomers, coatings, and surface treatments.
Ensure material data includes validated properties, processing guidelines, test results, qualifications, and application notes.
Standardize material data to support design, simulation, testing, sourcing, and manufacturing teams globally.
Collaborate with AI and digital engineering experts to help develop and train a materials‑focused engineering chatbot, enabling rapid access to approved material data, selection guidance, and lessons learned.
Collaborate with global engineering teams to align material strategies and best practices.
Communicate material recommendations clearly to technical and non‑technical stakeholders.
Provide mentoring and technical guidance on material selection, failure analysis, and performance.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science, Metallurgical Engineering, Polymer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field required.
Master’s degree preferred.
Minimum 10+ years of experience in materials engineering or R&D, preferably supporting electromechanical or connector products.
Experience supporting product development from concept through qualification and production.
Strong knowledge of metals, polymers, elastomers, coatings, and material failure mechanisms.
Familiarity with material testing methods and relevant industry standards.
Experience with engineering documentation, specifications, and test reports.
Understanding of manufacturing processes including stamping, molding, machining, and plating preferred.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office; experience with CAD and PLM/PDM systems a plus.
Strong analytical, problem‑solving, and decision‑making skills.
Clear written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast‑paced R&D environment.
Comfortable working across cultures and time zones.

Skills

Metallic and polymeric materials
Product design optimization
Innovation
Next-generation product development
Material selection
Failure analysis
Technology roadmap development
Copper alloys
Stainless steels
Aluminum alloys
Engineering thermoplastics
Thermosets
Elastomers
Rubber materials
Coatings
Surface treatments
Electrical performance
Thermal performance
Mechanical performance
Environmental performance
Connector technologies
R&D roadmaps
Emerging materials
Processing technologies
Industry trends
Electrical interconnect systems
Electrical conductivity
Mechanical strength
Fatigue
Wear
Corrosion resistance
Flammability
Environmental durability
Manufacturability
Stamping
Injection molding
Machining
Plating
Assembly processes
Cost evaluation
Supplier capability
Availability
Supply‑chain risk
DFMEA
Analysis and simulation
Structural simulation
Thermal simulation
Mold flow simulation
Material properties
Simulation models
Material data
Simulation predictions
Physical test results
Design confidence
Simulation-driven design optimization
Material test plans
Acceptance criteria
Product validation
Product qualification
Root cause analysis
Test failures
Field issues
Material behavior
Internal and external test laboratories
Mechanical testing
Thermal testing
Electrical testing
Environmental testing
Binghamton University laboratories
Material and product testing
Material characterization
Material specifications
Test reports
Qualification documentation
Engineering standards
Manufacturing processes
Process implementation
Sourcing
New suppliers
Alternate materials
Material changes
ECNs
Cost‑reduction initiatives
Global product transfers
Engineering materials database
Plastics
Validated properties
Processing guidelines
Application notes
Standardize material data
AI
Digital engineering
Engineering chatbot
Global engineering teams
Material strategies
Best practices
Technical stakeholders
Non‑technical stakeholders
Mentoring
Technical guidance
Material failure mechanisms
Engineering documentation
Microsoft Office
CAD
PLM/PDM systems

Location

Endicott, NY
China

Work Type

Hybrid
International travel required

Experience Level

Senior
10+ years of experience

Education Level

Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science, Metallurgical Engineering, Polymer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field
Master’s degree preferred

About the Company

Amphenol Industrial Operations, headquartered in Endicott, New York, with global manufacturing, design, sales, and marketing locations, specializes in delivering a comprehensive range of high-reliability power and signal connectors along with interconnection systems designed specifically for harsh environments and high performance.
Our solutions cater to diverse, high-growth industrial sectors such as alternative energy, energy storage, hyperscale datacom, telecom, rail and mass transit, electric and hybrid vehicles, transportation, factory automation, robotics, and heavy equipment.
Our product portfolio addresses modern power and signal requirements and emerging system technology needs encompassing high-amperage power interconnects utilizing proprietary RADSOK® contact technology, ruggedized circular, rectangular interconnects and board level contacts (GT, AC, PT, Amphe-Lite, Radsert, PowerBlok, SurLok Plus, ePower, UPC, H4 Plus, and more), advanced power distribution including value-add box builds, custom-engineered cable assemblies and overmolded harnesses.
With a dedicated team of over 2500 skilled staff operating across a growing international footprint—including eight key manufacturing sites in North America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East providing localization for our customer base.
Amphenol Industrial Operations consistently meets the highest global standards of quality, product performance, design capabilities, and regionalized technical and sales support.
Amphenol Industrial Operations proudly operates as a business unit of Amphenol Corporation (NYSE: APH), a global leader in the electronics revolution, headquartered in Wallingford, Connecticut.