R&D Engineer - Csp - pst

R&D Engineer

As an R&D Engineer at MKS MSD, you will collaborate with CSP-PST R&D, a sub-function of General Metal Finishing- R&D, to support product development, customer projects, and related activities. Reporting to the Manager CSP-PST R&D, you will independently conduct R&D activities involving product/process development, customer support, product and process optimization, testing, qualification, troubleshooting, and process improvement. You will work closely with your team, manager, global R&D manager, and cross-functional departments—both locally and globally. Open and clear communication is expected. You are encouraged to bring your own ideas and approaches to successfully execute tasks. When required, you will also support customers through consultation, troubleshooting, process optimization, site visits, and on-site trials, while maintaining confidentiality and compliance.

You Will Make an Impact By:

• Performing hands-on laboratory experiments and pilot line trials to demonstrate feasibility and develop new products, especially in paint pretreatment and surface treatment towards painting/plating applications.
• Designing and executing Design of Experiments (DOE) and independently planning assigned tasks within the project framework.
• Executing tasks in a timely and high-quality manner.
• Developing and modifying product formulations, optimizing processes, troubleshooting, and providing viable solutions to customer problems.
• Conducting literature, patent, competition, searching supplier, and market research to support project goals.
• Collaborating with team members in laboratory and customer environments.
• Bringing innovative ideas and strategies to improve product and process efficiency.
• Interacting with cross-functional teams locally and globally.
• Promoting innovation, research orientation, literature study, and technical writing within the team.
• Supporting projects with technical inputs and literature search; contributing to technical papers and patents.
• Exploring disruptive technologies and identifying new opportunities through market and research insights.
• Communicating task progress regularly and effectively to stakeholders.
• Taking self-initiated actions to maintain work culture and ensure task completion.
• Maintaining 5S and safety standards as per MKS MSD guidelines.
• Actively participating in team-building activities.
• Ensuring confidentiality of projects and departmental information.
• Interacting with customers for troubleshooting, process optimization, and conducting trials at customer sites when required.

Skills You Bring:

Technical Skills:

• 5–10 years of experience in industries such as paint pretreatment, plating lines, coatings, industrial cleaning, and surface treatment.
• Education background: B.Tech in Paint/ Polymer/Coatings or MSc in Chemistry/Polymer Chemistry / Physical Chemistry / Organic Chemistry/ Paint Technology/Surface Chemistry/ Coatings
• Independent handling of analytical and visualization tools (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, JMP).
• Experience in e-notebooks/ELN would be an added advantage
• Data driven mindset & Experience in statistics and data interpretation & representation – Gather, Visualize, Interpret, Conclude
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and within team with a strong focus on delivering results and identifying alternative solutions when challenges arise

Soft skills:

• Ability to analyze data, draw logical conclusions, document findings, and present work to technical, scientific, and business audiences.
• Good oral and written communication, collaboration and team player skills
• Quick learner, Agile, proactive; would have passion for innovation to create new products and add value in R&D
• Strong critical and analytical skills to ensure all aspects of projects are clearly understood, well documented and conclusive for the exit gate reporting.
• Creative, structured, methodical, and time bound workstyle.
• Self-motivated, accountable, with an urge to have an out of the box thinking

Mandatory Skills:

• Hands-on experience in pilot lines, especially paint pretreatment lines (powder/liquid), paint booth, and plating lines.
• Operational skills in chemical laboratories, process development, troubleshooting, formulation development, and product qualification.
• Strong knowledge in paint/plating pretreatment, process/product development, process optimization and troubleshooting
• Basic understanding of solvents, surfactants, additives, reaction mechanisms, stoichiometry, and electrochemistry.
• In depth knowledge of surfactants, polymers, organic and inorganic molecules
• Experience in tuning structure property relationships and synthetic chemistry of organic and inorganic molecules
• Hand own experience on testing coating properties such as adhesion, coating thickness, corrosion resistance etc. and analyzing the data to draw conclusions.
• Experience on detergents, colloidal chemistry is a plus.

MKS Inc. and its affiliates and subsidiaries ("MKS") is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer: diverse candidates are encouraged to apply. We win as a team and are committed to recruiting and hiring qualified applicants regardless of race, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions), religion, age, ancestry, physical or mental disability or handicap, marital status, membership in the uniformed services, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, or any other category protected by applicable law. Hiring decisions are based on merit, qualifications and business needs. We conduct background checks and drug screens, in accordance with applicable law and company policies.