Kimberly-Clark ยท 3 days ago
Lead Scientist Materials
USA-WI-Neenah
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level, Lead/Staff
$87K/yr - $108K/yr
3+ years expKimberly-Clark is a global company known for its iconic brands such as Huggies and Kleenex. They are seeking a Lead Scientist in Materials to develop and implement innovative material solutions for personal care products, collaborating with cross-functional teams and suppliers to enhance product performance and sustainability.
ManufacturingProduct DesignWholesale
Responsibilities
Be a member of the Research and Development (R&D) Absorbent Development Technology team, developing and implementing material, product, technology or product concepts
Work with fast moving Personal Care consumable products across diapers, training pants, and adult garments and pads
Report to a Team Leader and receive direction in the form of specific project and innovation pipeline objectives
Collaborate with product teams to understand business innovation plans, and translate those needs to lead material development specific to the absorbent system
Work with product developers, process engineers, corporate research and other materials scientists to develop for commercialization new and/or improved materials for the absorbent system
Provide project leadership in the design, development, and optimization of non-woven and absorbent materials for consumer product solutions, supporting the Kimberly-Clark brand plans
Manage relationships with key material suppliers, internal and external, to develop materials and application technologies that accelerate innovation to our consumers
Coordinate material development activities with key suppliers and production locations with mainly North American implementation, but also internationally, as required
Mentor less experienced material scientists across R&D
Ensure all work complies with corporate safety, regulatory, product safety, and sustainability requirements
Work independently and progress with limited instruction and as part of a larger cross functional team
Interact daily across the R&D community consisting of product, process, and material experts. This team is accountable for the development of improved or new materials that deliver on consumer needs and improved performance in personal care absorbent products
Provide leadership and decision making from the material perspective to advance projects through the business stage and gate approval process
Weekly influence suppliers and partners across corporate research, procurement, supply chain, safety, regulatory, and legal as required by project needs
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's or advanced degree in related scientific or engineering discipline
3+ years of industry experience in research or engineering, product/material development, project management roles or other related experience
A demonstrated ability to work as part of a team and across functional boundaries to complete projects within required timeframes
Exceptional skills effectively communicating/translating complex technical concepts to others
Travel up to 15% if needed, including some international travel
Preferred
Knowledge of materials and structural/performance relationships between primarily non-woven and absorbent systems to drive hygiene garment performance
Experience analyzing material properties and impact on product performance
Experience in materials development including translating material development needs from prototype to commercial scale
Experience in supplier management
Experience leading material and product commercial launch activities with external suppliers and global manufacturing partners
International experience in a global organization
Benefits
Great support for good health with medical, dental, and vision coverage options with no waiting periods or pre-existing condition restrictions. Access to an on-site fitness center, occupational health nurse, and allowances for high-quality safety equipment.
Flexible Savings and spending accounts to maximize health care options and stretch dollars when caring for yourself or dependents.
Diverse income protection insurance options to protect yourself and your family in case of illness, injury, or other unexpected events.
Additional programs and support to continue your education, adopt a child, relocate, or even find temporary childcare.
Company
Kimberly-Clark
Kimberly-Clark ranked among the top 10 World's Best Multinational Workplaces by Great Places to Work Institute for the third year in a row.
10001+ employees
H1B Sponsorship
Kimberly-Clark has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (38)
2024 (14)
2023 (31)
2022 (24)
2021 (10)
2020 (8)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageLeadership Team
Craig Stephen Slavtcheff
Chief R&D Officer
John Carmichael
President, North America
Recent News
2026-01-11
Maryland Daily Record
2026-01-11
Company data provided by crunchbase