Research Director, CCL

Team up with the most innovative company where Imagination becomes reality!  E Ink is the originator, pioneer, and commercial leader in ePaper technology. The Fremont Research & Development team is thriving and growing as we help develop products that are changing how people access information every day.  We are seeking qualified candidates who are self-driven, looking to advance their career and become a high-impact player on a team.

Our diversity of people, backgrounds, experiences, thoughts, and perspectives are fostered to create an inclusive work environment.

We offer a competitive/generous benefits package that fits the needs of our employees. It includes health, dental, vision, wellness programs, employee discounts, 401k matches, ongoing development, advancement opportunities and more. This position is also eligible for our bonus program. (see E Ink │ Our Company)

About the position:

The Research Director will serve as the founding technical leader and product design architect for a new Copper Clad Laminate (CCL) research and development program. This is a hands-on role that will personally lead CCL product and composite design, polymer-physics investigations, and definition of the integrated product architecture while establishing the technology strategy and development roadmap. The Director will initially lead three direct reports, work closely with them on technical execution, and build a broader multidisciplinary team as the program and capabilities mature. Direct, hands-on experience designing CCL products is essential. The ideal candidate combines deep expertise in polymer composites and polymer physics with strong product-design judgment, CCL industry knowledge, experimental leadership, and the ability to convert fundamental understanding into differentiated and manufacturable product designs.

Responsibilities:

• Serve as the product design architect by defining the overall composite architecture, material-system concept, layer and interface functions, formulation space, design rules, and technical tradeoffs.
• Personally own hands-on CCL product design and composite and polymer-physics work, including formulation, product architecture, prototype design and build, experimental planning, data interpretation, and iterative optimization against product requirements.
• Establish fundamental relationships among polymer structure, phase behavior, rheology, viscoelasticity, particle and reinforcement interactions, interfaces, composite microstructure, processing response, signal loss, mechanical and thermal behavior, and reliability.
• Translate customer, application, manufacturing, reliability, cost, and supply-chain needs into clear product requirements and an integrated design architecture, with signal loss as the primary electrical-performance objective.
• Define and lead the technology strategy, research roadmap, development priorities, stage gates, resource plan, and major technical decisions; evaluate competing approaches and make timely go or no-go recommendations.
• Direct rapid design-build-test learning cycles, review experimental results in depth, identify critical knowledge gaps, and guide the team toward robust product specifications and scalable design solutions.
• Initially lead and develop three direct reports with clear ownership across surface chemistry and particle engineering, process development, and analytical and reliability testing; recruit and build the team over time as technical scope and program needs expand.
• Integrate material design, process capability, analytical methods, reliability learning, and product specifications while preserving clear execution ownership for each technical specialist.
• Develop a strong understanding of the CCL value chain and establish productive collaborations with customers, suppliers, external laboratories, universities, manufacturing partners, and equipment providers.
• Build the program's technical-review, risk-management, documentation, and intellectual-property practices; communicate technical recommendations, risks, resource needs, and program decisions clearly to senior management and internal and external partners.

Qualifications:

• PhD in Polymer Science, Materials Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field; an M.S. with exceptional directly relevant experience may be considered.
• Hands-on experience designing and developing CCL products is required, including direct ownership of material-system architecture, formulation, layer and interface design, prototype builds, performance tradeoffs, and design iteration. Typically 15+ years of industrial R&D experience in polymer composites, electronic materials, CCL or PCB materials, or closely related product technologies, including substantial hands-on technical leadership.
• Deep expertise in composite design and polymer physics, including phase behavior, rheology, viscoelasticity, morphology, interfaces, and structure-property relationships.
• Hands-on experience designing formulations and composite structures, building prototypes, planning decisive experiments, interpreting data, and iterating designs.
• Ability to translate functional requirements into material-system architecture, interface design, design rules, specifications, and manufacturable product concepts.
• Broad technical knowledge spanning materials, interfaces, formulation, process integration, product characterization, signal-loss performance, mechanical and thermal behavior, and reliability.
• Strong technical judgment and the ability to identify governing mechanisms, prioritize experiments, evaluate competing approaches, manage risk, and make decisions with incomplete information.
• Experience leading small technical teams and recruiting, mentoring, and organizing multidisciplinary capabilities as a program grows.
• Record of leading complex R&D programs, managing budgets and external work, and advancing technology while remaining actively engaged in technical execution.
• Record of technical innovation, including patents or invention disclosures, and experience developing strategically valuable intellectual property.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills across technical teams, customers, suppliers, manufacturing partners, executives, and business teams.

Benefits:

• Competitive Total Compensation Package
• Medical, Dental and Vision on 1st day
• Company 401K match
• Paid Time Off & Holidays
• Sick Leave Policy
• Casual day to day work environment
• Hybrid/flexible work environment (for some positions)

Compensation Disclosure: At E Ink, we believe in rewarding employees with competitive total compensation through a combination of base salary and performance-based bonuses, with a larger portion of total compensation delivered through our annual bonus program than is typical at many companies. To provide applicants with a more complete picture of our compensation philosophy, we are disclosing both the estimated annual total compensation and the annual base salary range for this position. For this position, the estimated annual total compensation range is $231,000 - $345,000, based on the Company's most recent annual bonus payout. The annual base salary range for this position is $165,000 - $230,000.

The annual base salary range reflects the Company's good-faith estimate of the base salary it reasonably expects to pay for this position at the time of posting. Actual starting base salary is determined based on job-related factors, including experience, skills, education, certifications, and other qualifications. Annual bonus payments are based on Company performance, are not guaranteed, and may be higher or lower than the estimate reflected above.

E Ink is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, identity, sexual orientation, veteran’s status, disability, age, or on any basis prohibited by federal and state law.  This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor. 

E Ink is committed to protecting the privacy of its employees and candidates for employment. Pursuant to the California Privacy Rights Act, please see ourE Ink Corporation CPRA Notice at Collection and E Ink Corporation California Resident Privacy Policy

E Ink is committed to protecting the privacy of its employees and candidates for employment. Pursuant to the California Privacy Rights Act, please see ourE Ink Corporation CPRA Notice at Collection and E Ink Corporation California Resident Privacy Policy