Who are we looking for? We are looking for an experienced, insightful, and forward-thinking Sr. R&D Applications Engineer to lead application development for Active Copper, MacDermid Alpha's next-generation copper paste and sintering platform. Based at the MacDermid Alpha site in Wilmington, DE, you will leverage expertise in material science, processing and deposition methods through structured design of experiments. The end deliverable will be a documented finely tuned and optimized paste deposition process with minimal to no defects (think six sigma). Additional effort will be put forth in ensuring the paste products are capable of being used in a high-volume semiconductor/electronic manufacturing environment with minimal to no defects. As a leader, you will be responsible for identifying on-boarding new application equipment that is compatible and capable of achieving customer design and manufacturability targets. This role carries technical leadership and mentoring responsibility for the Wilmington Active Copper applications team, including junior engineers and technicians. You will define the technical path for the application development work stream, partner closely with R&D Innovation at our San Jose CA site, partner on projects with our Printed Circuit Board & IC Substrate experts at our Waterbury CT site, participate in select customer demos and applications, Application Qualification Team (Japan, China, Taiwan, S. Korea), and interact with Business Development teams across the Active Copper adoption curve.
What will you be doing? - Application Development Leadership: Lead full development of the paste deposition process with optimized for quality and consistency, advancing product maturity from Early > Capable toward Capable >Deployed.
- Team Leadership and Mentoring: Provide technical supervision and mentoring to R&D Applications. Engineers and Applications Technicians on the Wilmington team; develop team members into subject matter experts on Active Copper application processes.
- Process Integration: Partner with the Application Qualification Team to integrate developed paste deposition processes into full board builds, including preplate, sinter, post-plate, and planarization.
- Experimental Design: Design and execute systematic studies using advanced printing, vacuum-assisted deposition, laser stencil cutting, and sinter press equipment to generate data packages that support customer qualification and scale-up.
- Customer Engagement: Act as the applications subject matter expert during customer technical reviews and troubleshooting sessions, building trust and helping customers qualify and scale Active Copper on their lines.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Wok with R&D Innovation, metrology, Business Development, and Product Management teams to resolve complex chemistry, process, and equipment challenges tied to Active Copper adoption.
- Metrology and Characterization: Utilize cross-section, SEM, AOI, and X-ray techniques to characterize deposit quality, board reliability, and process performance.
- Technical Communication: Create and deliver technical presentations and reports to internal partners and external customers; author technical documentation and best-practice guidelines for the application process.
- Strategic Input: Provide input into the strategic direction of the Active Copper business unit based on application development results and industry best practices.
Who are You? You are:
- Scientifically rigorous, practically minded: You balance deep chemistry/process insight with manufacturability and cost-in-use.
- A Curious problem-solver: You ask sharp questions, build hypotheses, test rapidly, and iterate confidently.
- Safety-first: You model exemplary EHS behavior and embed safety into experiment and process design.
- A Collaborative communicator: You build trust across labs, plants, suppliers, and customers; you explain complex ideas simply.
- Resilient & results-driven: You own outcomes, manage ambiguity, and deliver against milestones.
- Inclusive & globally aware: You thrive in diverse, multicultural teams and consider regional requirements and constraints.
What competencies will you need? - MS with 7+ years of relevant experience, or BS with 11+ years of relevant technical experience in electronics manufacturing, materials science, or a related applications field. Likely education background: Mechanical, Chemical, or Industrial Engineering, or Materials Science.
- Direct experience with printing, dispensing, sintering, and plating equipment, ideally including vacuum assisted printing and PCB sinter press processes.
- Strong ability to problem solve through design and interpret experiments utilizing statistical analyses; proficiency in DOE, Six Sigma, or methodologies.
- Demonstrated experience mentoring or supervising junior technical staff, with the ability to lead a small applications team.
- Thorough understanding of application knowledge with the ability to develop rheological-property relationships to product performance.
- Ability to link business strategy, customer applications, and technical knowledge to advance the company's commercial position.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills, with experience authoring technical reports and delivering presentations to technical and customer audiences.
- Prioritizes safety of self and team and actively contributes to a culture of safety.
- Up to 25% travel
We are Offering... As part of our team here, as well as receiving a competitive base salary, you will also participate in a generous performance related bonus plan. In addition, you will also receive a 401k plan with company matching, Life Insurance, and Medical Insurance as well as 9 holidays.
Innovative - At ESI, we are committed to solving the complex and evolving needs of our customers through innovation and high-quality standards. We are focused on bringing cutting edge and environmentally sustainable solutions to the market. Our people are the critical resource required to make that happen. We support your success by creating a strong, inclusive culture, competitive total rewards, and an appropriate work-life balance.
Socially Responsible - We care about what you care about. We respect the individual differences that make up our unique expanding organization. We prioritize both sustainability and social impact in both our business operations and our local communities through our various ESI Cares initiatives and the ESI Foundation. There are many ways to get involved from employee network groups that support your interests and sense of belonging to paid volunteer days.
Rewarding Performance - We are a performance driven culture where every individual has the opportunity to contribute through their actions and judgment. We strive to reward those who choose excellence through both recognition and compensation. Those who demonstrate good judgement, positive attitude, solid work ethics and ambitious objectives will see their responsibilities grow along with their compensation.
Salary range for this role is expected to be between $109,341 and $164,011, DOE and Education.
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