Sr Technical Specialist - Adhesives

As the largest pureplay adhesives company in the world, H.B. Fuller’s (NYSE: FUL) innovative, functional coatings, adhesives and sealants enhance the quality, safety and performance of products people use every day. Founded in 1887, with 2023 revenue of $3.5 billion, our mission to Connect What Matters is brought to life by more than 7,000 global team members who collaborate with customers across more than 30 market segments in over 140 countries to develop highly specified solutions that enable customers to bring world-changing innovations to their end markets.

The Sr. Technical Specialist – Adhesives is responsible for conducting laboratory, pilot, and field trials to support the introduction of new products and new applications.  The Sr. Technical Specialist – Adhesives is responsible for purchasing, maintaining, testing, and calibration of lab and application equipment.  They will leverage their acquired expertise of specialty equipment and applications to construct new apparatus and modify existing equipment to solve unmet customer needs and demonstrate the efficacy of existing products. They will troubleshoot customer problems, develop test methods, make product recommendations, and recommend customer process modifications to improve application properties. They will also contribute to overall R&D efforts by actively seeking new, improved, more efficient, and more commercially relevant methods for mixing and performance testing.

Primary Responsibilities

• Independently conduct experiments and trials for existing and potential customers to support product/process introductions.

• Utilize expertise of equipment and applications to construct new apparatus and/or modify existing equipment based on the knowledge of our customer and equipment capabilities.

• Use their discretion to apply application and equipment expertise to solve unmet customer needs, troubleshoot application process problems, demonstrate the efficacy of existing products, and make recommendations to customers for products and/or process improvements based on data driven conclusions.

• Utilize statistical analysis tools and Design of Experiments (DoE).

• Analyze and interpret data to support the generation of (internal and external) technical reports without supervision.

• Generate project plans and execute using project management methodologies.

• Document test results and product/process improvement recommendations.

• Develop, share, and maintain applications knowledge base for various combinations of equipment and product technologies.

• Develop testing methods to simulate field applications and/or modify and improve application processes, test methods and/or products.

• Work with customer operations and technical personnel to resolve product performance issues.

• Provide training to the technical group, salesforce, marketing, and external customers on specific application techniques and methods.

• Work safely following the company guidelines and using all protective equipment.

Minimum Requirements 

• High School Diploma and at least 10 years of relevant work experience OR Associates or technical degree in related area of study and at least 8 years of relevant work experience OR Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering or related area of study & at least 6 years of relevant work experience.

• Demonstrated ability to simulate field applications and design test methods to generate product recommendations.

• Flexibility, skill, and temperament to work in a fast-paced environment. The technical specialist must be able to work in a team environment, be detailed oriented and be able to communicate clearly.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities.

• Strong team-player with ability to drive results.

• Strong computer skills in MS Office Suite.

• Ability to travel up to 40% of the time within the US and Canada.

• Lifting and carrying up to 50 lbs.

Preferred Requirements  

• Bachelor's of Science Degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering or related field.

• Experience working with adhesives  

• Ability to present technical information to customer.

• Strong technical report writing skills.

• Superb organizational skills.

• Ability to learn new software.