Materials Engineer, Polymers (m/f/d)

About the company

Corning is a global technology leader known for innovations in glass, ceramics, and materials science. Its work spans major industries and applications, from underwater systems and space technologies to telecommunications, mobility, consumer entertainment, and healthcare. The Optical Communications division delivers optical solutions for carrier and enterprise networks, supporting infrastructure for video, data, and voice communication.

Role overview

For the Berlin-Adlershof location in Germany, Corning is seeking a Materials Engineer focused on polymers. The position centers on advancing materials development for Corning Optical Communications worldwide, supporting new product creation, improving existing products, and helping solve materials-related manufacturing challenges. The role also involves selecting and evaluating polymer compounds for cable applications and contributing as a technical expert in polymer science and engineering.

Key responsibilities

• Plan research work, design experiments, and interpret data to validate ideas and create practical solutions for new development efforts.
• Use advanced scientific and engineering knowledge to tackle research and development challenges.
• Work with internal teams on projects, offering fundamental polymer expertise and development support.
• Coordinate with suppliers and procurement to assess new materials, analytical tools, and services, while helping resolve material issues and maintaining supplier relationships.
• Drive and support materials-centered development work tied to both short-term and long-term R&D goals.
• Combine hands-on technical work with broader leadership responsibilities.
• Partner with research and manufacturing teams across the full product development cycle.
• Record findings clearly and communicate results effectively.

Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree, or equivalent, in materials science, polymer science and technology, or chemistry; a master’s degree or higher is an advantage.
• Practical experience with polymers and polymer compounds or formulations.
• Experience with polymer processing methods such as extrusion and injection molding.
• Background in product development or product testing.
• Ability to apply scientific principles and core technical understanding to diagnose problems and identify product solutions.
• Strong technical writing skills in English, including the ability to document investigations and prepare reports clearly.
• Ability to communicate and present work to international teams.
• Capability to design test protocols for target material properties, with familiarity in common analytical methods such as tensile testing, FTIR, TGA, and DSC.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office tools, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and SharePoint.
• English fluency is required; German language skills are an advantage.

Preferred background

• Knowledge of a broad range of polymers, including thermoplastics and thermosets.
• Understanding of polymer structure-property relationships.
• Experience with polymer extrusion, particularly cable or pipe extrusion.
• Exposure to flame-retardant polymer systems and compound formulation, especially polyolefins.
• Strong familiarity with polymer characterization tools such as rheology, DMA, DSC, TGA, TMA, SEM, and mechanical testing; optical testing experience is a plus.
• Experience assessing product lifetime.
• International work exposure.

Soft skills

• Comfort working in a multicultural team environment.
• Ability to work independently.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to coach and mentor other engineers and share core technical knowledge.
• Enthusiasm, collaboration, innovation, and a proactive mindset.

Additional information

The role involves up to 25% travel. The position is based in Adlershof, Berlin, and the standard working pattern is 40 hours per week, mostly onsite.

Benefits

• Company-wide bonus and long-term incentive programs linked to business performance.
• Health and well-being support, including a company-funded retirement plan, paid leave, and an Employee Assistance Program for employees and their families.
• Recognition initiatives that celebrate achievements and outstanding performance.

Equal opportunity and accommodation

Corning provides equal employment opportunities and considers reasonable accommodation requests in line with applicable law. Candidates with disabilities or sincerely held religious beliefs may request support during the application or interview process, while performing essential job duties, or when accessing other employment-related benefits and privileges. Accommodation requests related to disability or religion can be directed to [email protected].