Principal Application Engineer Jobs in Wisconsin

Principal Materials Engineer - Polymers (Advanced Engineering)

Bringdeep technical authority and first-principles rigorto define, mature, and scalepolymer materials and processing approachesacross Milwaukee Tool'sHand Tools business unit(Hand Tools, Storage, PPE).

As a Principal Materials Engineer, you serve as thesubject matter expert in polymer systems, driving materialselection, development, validation,processing, and manufacturabilitydecisions forhigh-impact applications. You define material performance intent, develop validation strategies, and translate results into confident material decisions fromearly exploration through commercialization.

Youoperatewithhigh autonomyacross Advanced Engineering (R&D) and platform development, independently progressing multiple material efforts in parallel. You also lead direct technical engagement with material suppliers and development partners to solvecomplex material challenges.

This role emphasizesearly-stage material exploration and innovation, requiring the ability toidentifyemerging material opportunities and generate insights before formal validation pathways exist.

Key Responsibilities

• Define material performance intent tied to end-use conditions, durability, and manufacturability requirements

• Develop, qualify, and implement polymer systems (plastics, elastomers, coatings, adhesives, composites) from concept through production-ready specifications, ensuring alignment betweendesign intent, tooling strategy, processing conditions, manufacturability, and field performance

• Define and execute platform-level material strategies, enabling consistent performance and manufacturability across product architectures

• Translate experimental and field data intomaterial and process decisionsby linking processing-structure-property relationships to end-use performance and failure modes, and by driving upfront analysis prior to tooling and trials

• Scout and evaluate emergingpolymer, elastomeric, and flexible material technologies- including startup platforms, university-derived materials, and supplier development pipelines - to expand the organization'smaterials and processing capability roadmap

• Designnovel test methodologieswhere standard approachesfail tofully characterize material behavior; treat data exploration as a primary tool for surfacingmaterial and process insightsthat drive early-stage decisions

• Apply materialsexpertiseacrossrigid and flexible polymer systems, including elastomeric components,overmoldedinterfaces, and protective padding or soft goods applications relevant to PPE and hand tool ergonomics

• Lead direct technical engagement with global material suppliers and development partners to co-develop and mature advancedmaterial and process solutions

• Lead root-cause investigations for complex material failures, applyingappropriate analyticaltechniques toidentifyfailure mechanisms and translate findings intodesign, material, or process changes;maintainfamiliarity with relevant test methods anddemonstratewillingness to workhands-on in the labas needed

• Drive corrective actions that prevent recurrence through changes in materialselection, design, or processing conditions

• Provide targeted support to high-impact production or field issues (~10%), focused on complex or ambiguous failures

• Influence design, manufacturing, and sourcing decisions to ensure alignment between material selection, processing, and product performance

• Applystrong working knowledgeof DFM and tooling to polymer materialselection-understanding how material, processing, and design impact tooling and vice versa, and using that understanding to influence manufacturability and development decisions

• Develop sufficient fluency in injection molding simulation workflows (e.g., Moldflow, FEA, material models) to define meaningful inputs, interpret outputs, and drive targeted requests in partnership with dedicated simulation resources;direct simulation execution capability is preferred but notrequired

• Document material intent, assumptions, tradeoffs, and risks in clear specifications and recommendations

• Mentor engineers and elevate technical rigor in materials evaluation and decision-making

• Operate across a wide range of polymer systems and applications, applying depth selectively where technical risk is highest

Typical Advanced Engineering Flow

• Discovery:Identifyunmet performance needs; evaluate materials technologies and external capabilities

• Definition:Translate application requirements into material performance intent,processing strategy, manufacturability considerations,and validation approach

• Exploration:Develop and test material systems; iterate with suppliers and partners;explore process windows and tooling interactions; quantify tradeoffs and failure modes

• Validation:Confirm performance, durability, and manufacturability; retire material and process risk

• Commercialization:Deliver production-ready specifications, test methods, and supplier alignment; support launch as SME

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Materials Science, Polymer Engineering, or related field; advanced degree preferred

• 10+ years of experience in polymer materials engineering across R&D, development, or manufacturing

• Deepexpertisein plastics, elastomers, thermosets, adhesives, coatings, and composite systems

• Proven ability to solve complex technical problems and lead root cause analysis

• Experience working directly with material suppliers and development partners

• Strong ability to translate data into decisions and communicate clearly across functions

• Strong working knowledgeof polymer processing (e.g., injection molding,overmolding) and the interaction between materialselection, tooling, and manufacturing outcomes

• Working knowledge ofinjection molding simulation conceptssufficient to engage simulation resources effectively, interpret simulation outputs, and recognize where simulation-informed decisions add value;experience directly running Moldflow or similar analyses is preferred

• Familiarity with polymer characterization methods and willingness to behands-on in the labare expected; experience independently operating polymer analysis equipment to support development and failure investigations is preferred