Cornerstone Building Brands is a premier exterior building solutions provider serving both the residential and commercial markets across North America. The building products we manufacture are the cornerstone of the communities where people live, work and play -from homes to hospitals, grade schools to grocery stores, manufacturing facilities to municipal buildings and beyond.

Through the core values and consistent behaviors and mindsets embraced by our employees, we have built a culture dedicated to understanding our customers' needs and what matters most to their success. We know that it's our people that make the difference and we are deeply committed to building a workplace and global community where inclusion is not only valued, but prioritized, providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and team members.

The role of the R&D Engineer is to support the R&D department’s goals of improving Ply Gem’s technology for material manufacture.  This position primarily involves optimization of Ply Gem’s material compounds, colorants, paint and coatings and testing procedures.  By evaluation and improvement of these and other aspects of processes, the R&D Engineer will seek to improve the quality, performance, and cost of existing products as well as assist in development of new products for construction applications.  Specific projects will be assigned by the Director who will provide guidance in the design of experiments and interpretation of results.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Investigate specific aspects of product performance where improvements are needed or performance problems have been identified.  Recommend modifications of materials or processes to improve performance
• Evaluate and recommend for approval additional or improved sources of raw materials or colorants.  Assist with the development of appropriate specifications for these ingredients
• Modify material formulations to achieve specific improvements such as enhanced performance or reduced cost.  Evaluate alternate formulations and generate test data to select the formulation with the best performance to satisfy project goals
• Assist with the resolution of technical problems identified by manufacturing plants, particularly problems with material compounds, paints, colorants or QA testing procedures
• Develop and recommend means to improve product quality where specific needs have been identified, i.e. uniformity of product attributes and compliance with specifications.  Analyze QA data as needed to define previous quality performance.  Conduct experiments as required to understand causes of problems and potential solutions.  Develop and implement appropriate improvements
• Evaluate and implement improvements as needed in the appearance and/or weatherability of products
• Work with other R&D group members to improve laboratory operations with regard to safety, housekeeping, efficiency, and quality of results
• Perform other duties as assigned

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Plastics Engineering, Polymer Science, Chemistry or similar technical degree or an equivalent combination of experience and education would be required

Experience

• Minimum of three years in plastics research, product development, technical service, or related position required.  Extrusion/PVC formulation, plastic color or paint and coating experience preferred.  Prior cementitious experience may also be required

Skills

• Effective verbal and written communications skills required.  Effective computer skills including databases, spreadsheets, and word processing preferred.  Familiar with plastics testing (rheology, thermal and physical properties, etc.) and extrusion preferred.  Familiar with PVC formulation technology and compounding preferred.
• Safety and quality minded.  Organized, detail-oriented, and self-motivated.  Team oriented individual who will establish excellent working relationships with coworkers.  Not satisfied to just meet the minimum requirements, but rather seeks continuous improvement.                              

Why work for Cornerstone Building Brands?

Our teams are at the heart of our purpose to positively contribute to the communities where we live, work and play. Full-time* team members receive** medical, dental and vision benefits starting day 1. Other benefits include PTO, paid holidays, FSA, life insurance, LTD, STD, 401k, EAP, discount programs, tuition reimbursement, training, and professional development. You can also join one of our Employee Resource Groups which help support our commitment to providing a diverse and inclusive work environment.

*Full-time is defined as regularly working 30+ hours per week. **Union programs may vary depending on the collective bargaining agreement.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.