Internship Plastics Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

The Senior Healthcare Application Development & Technical Service Engineer supports healthcare growth by translating customer application needs into practical material, design, tooling, processing, and validation solutions. This role partners with customers, commercial teams, product management, technology, manufacturing, and quality to advance new applications from concept through launch while supporting troubleshooting, complaint resolution, and technical training

Our purpose at Avient Corporation is to be an innovator of materials solutions that help our customers succeed, while enabling a sustainable world.

Innovation goes far beyond materials science; it's powered by the passion, creativity, and diverse expertise of 9,000 professionals worldwide. Whether you're a finance wizard, a tech enthusiast, an operational powerhouse, an HR changemaker, or a trailblazer in materials development, you'll find your place at Avient.

Join our global team and help shape the future with sustainable solutions that transform possibilities into realities. Your unique perspective could be the key to our next breakthrough!

We believe that all of our global employees are leaders and that the six most important behaviors for driving our strategy and culture are the same no matter if an employee is a leader of self, a leader of others, or a leader of the business.

By playing to win, acting customer centric, driving innovation and profitable growth, collaborating seamlessly across Avient, and motivating and inspiring and developing others and yourself you will accelerate your ability to achieve Avient's strategic goals, to meet our customer needs, and to accomplish your career goals.

At Avient, we believe a wide variety of thoughts, ideas and backgrounds gives us the creativity to be successful in a rapidly changing world.  In support of this, we stress equality of opportunity for all qualified individuals in accordance with applicable laws. Decisions on hiring, promotion, development, compensation or advancement are based solely on a person's qualifications, abilities, experience and performance.

Avient is an equal opportunity employer. We maintain a policy of non-discrimination in providing equal employment to all qualified employees and candidates regardless of race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, color, religion, national origin, disability, genetic information, protected veteran's status, or other legally protected classification in accordance with applicable federal, state and local law. If you need an accommodation because of a disability to complete an online application, please contact the Avient HR Team by emailing, ApplicationAccommodation@Avient.com.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Plastics Engineering, Polymer Science, Chemistry, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, or a related engineering field required.
• Advanced degree or equivalent technical experience preferred.
• Seven or more years of related experience preferred, including internship or co-op experience where applicable.
• Healthcare, medical device, biopharmaceutical tubing, or regulated manufacturing experience preferred.
• Working knowledge of healthcare application requirements, quality systems, and regulatory expectations preferred.
• Strong understanding of plastics processing, including profile extrusion, tubing, injection molding, and related processes required.
• Experience with thermoforming, blown film, or other healthcare-relevant conversion processes preferred.

Technical Competence

• Proficiency with CAE software such as SolidWorks, Moldflow, and FEA.
• Strong understanding of part design, mold design, tooling considerations, and plastic processing fundamentals.
• Ability to interpret technical data sheets, safety data sheets, test data, and application requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to solve technical problems with speed, accuracy, and practical judgment.
• Ability to develop creative, customer-focused solutions for emerging healthcare applications.
• Commitment to working in accordance with Avient policies, safety expectations, and quality requirements.

Leadership and Communication Skills

• Communicates clearly and effectively with technical and non-technical audiences.
• Presents recommendations, results, and tradeoffs in a logical, actionable manner.
• Works collaboratively across commercial, technical, manufacturing, and quality functions.
• Responds to customers and internal stakeholders in a timely and professional manner.
• Demonstrates ownership of project goals, commitments, and follow-through.
• Is receptive to feedback and able to adjust approach based on business and customer needs.

Competencies

• This position is expected to demonstrate Avient's core competencies for a Leader of Self, including accountability, collaboration, customer focus, integrity, continuous improvement, and commitment to results.

Physical Demands

The physical demands listed below are representative of those required to successfully perform the essential duties of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties.

• Must be able to work in laboratory, plant and processing environments. 

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; stoop; kneel; crouch or crawl; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; talk and/or hear.

• Occasionally required to sit.

• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus, and ability to differentiate color.

   

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics listed below are representative of those typically encountered while performing the essential duties of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties.

• Requires use of appropriate safety equipment as dictated by the work area, including safety glasses, safety shoes, dust mask, hard hat, respirator, face shield, hearing protection, chemical suit, gloves, aprons, or related protective equipment.
• May occasionally work in manufacturing environments where noise levels are loud.
• Requires extensive computer work and may involve sitting at a desk for extended periods.
• Must be able to travel by car or airplane.

#CA-AL

• Interview customers and document application requirements, performance needs, design constraints, and processing expectations.
• Recommend appropriate engineered thermoplastics and thermoplastic elastomers for healthcare applications.
• Support application development through part design, mold tooling input, processing guidance, prototyping, testing, and validation support.
• Use CAE tools, including SolidWorks, Moldflow, and FEA, to evaluate designs and provide actionable recommendations.
• Participate in new product development by capturing market and application requirements and supporting launch-ready technical packages.
• Assist with customer complaint resolution, process troubleshooting, and technical issue investigation as needed.
• Develop technical literature, training materials, and presentations for customers and internal stakeholders.
• Travel up to 60% within North America to support customer engagements, trials, and technical service activities.

Essential Functions

• Engage customers to understand application requirements and translate needs into technical recommendations.
• Provide development engineering support for part design, mold tool design, material selection, and process design.
• Support healthcare customers through development projects from concept through validation and commercial launch.
• Evaluate customer designs using CAE tools and communicate recommendations through reviews, reports, and presentations.
• Attend process trials for new and existing products, document feedback, and identify improvement actions.
• Support customers on quality issues, process questions, technology questions, and application troubleshooting.
• Create technical documentation related to product design, mold tooling, processing, and troubleshooting.
• Provide processing and design training to customers and internal teams.
• Collaborate with Sales, Product Management, Technology, Manufacturing, and Quality to support business priorities.
• Build familiarity with current and legacy healthcare product portfolios.
• Perform other duties as assigned.