Join the team at Crown Electrokinetics and be at the forefront of revolutionizing the future of energy-efficient building technology! We seek talented engineers passionate about innovation and sustainability to help us launch our cutting-edge DynamicTint™ and Smart Window Inserts. DynamicTint™, a breakthrough technology, allows windows to dynamically adjust tinting, reducing energy waste and improving building comfort. As part of our development team, you will play a crucial role in advancing this pioneering technology, creating sustainable solutions that reduce carbon emissions and make a tangible impact on the environment.
If you're ready to challenge the status quo and work on transformative projects...
If you want to be a part of our mission to make a meaningful impact on both people and the planet...
...we want to hear from you!
About Crown
Crown is an innovative solutions provider focused on developing and delivering best-in-class products and services across three core businesses: Electrokinetic Film, Fiber Optics, and Water Improvement. These businesses are unified by Crown's commitment to innovation, sustainability, and positive societal impact.
Our Electrokinetic Film Division is transforming the future of buildings with our proprietary DynamicTint™ and Smart Window Inserts. Crown's electrokinetic film technology empowers buildings to reduce energy waste by improving window efficiency, offering cost savings and environmental benefits.
Our Culture
At Crown, we foster a culture emphasizing freedom, responsibility, and high performance. We believe in empowering our team members by minimizing bureaucracy and giving them the autonomy to take initiative and drive results. In our fast-paced and collaborative environment, we expect individuals to act with leadership, think critically, be creative, and focus on results so that we consistently deliver top-tier performance. While we offer flexibility, we also maintain a high standard for accountability-team members are measured not by the hours they put in but by the quality and impact of their work. We embrace open communication, respect, honesty, and a shared commitment to excellence, encouraging a culture where everyone is expected to contribute ideas and challenge assumptions. We strive to build amazing teams by assembling individuals with the right expertise and diverse perspectives and experiences. If you thrive on collaboration, innovation, and the drive to achieve extraordinary outcomes, you'll fit right in with our high-performance team.
Position Overview:
As part of the engineering team based in Michigan, near Ann Arbor, you will be key in accelerating product development, preparing our technology for large-scale manufacturing, and launching Crown Electrokinetic's first full-scale production facility. This is a rare opportunity for someone who wants to be involved from the ground up in creating and commercializing cutting-edge technology. You will join a team responsible for bringing a groundbreaking product to market and establishing the systems that will shape our manufacturing process.
During the initial phase of this role, you will spend 4-6 months at our roll-to-roll pilot manufacturing facility in Corvallis, Oregon. This will be a hands-on opportunity to shape the technology, support improvements in pilot operations, and accelerate the process of taking the product from development to manufacturing. Your time in Oregon will give you critical insights into the technology and its production requirements, allowing you to bring that knowledge back to Michigan, where you will help design and implement the systems that will drive the future success of Crown's manufacturing operations. This transition period is crucial to ensuring the technology is ready for commercial testing, positioning it for broad market adoption.
Key Responsibilities:
Electrokinetic Ink System: Develop an understanding of the electrokinetic ink system and formulation. Drive the scale-up of ink formulation processes for manufacturing, contribute to value engineering, and generational improvements in ink formulations.
UV-Cure Embossing Resin: Acquire expertise in UV-cure embossing resin formulations and their critical characteristics. Support the specification of equipment and process parameters to optimize embossing processes and contribute to resin and process improvements for future product generations.
Defect and Weakness Analysis: Analyze defects and weaknesses in products and pilot processes. Collaborate with the team to design for quality. Provide design inputs for product, process, and equipment enhancements to improve pilot and volume production yield.
Film and Coating Specifications: Lead the development of film and film coating requirements, working closely with the Purchasing Lead to ensure the specifications meet manufacturing and product performance standards.
The Lead Polymer Scientist will excel by:
Using their natural curiosity to quickly learn new concepts, adapt to evolving technologies, and achieve results.
Building and nurturing the necessary internal capabilities to support long-term organizational success.
Identifying and integrating external expertise to augment project outcomes when necessary.
Bringing clarity to complex issues and roadblocks, offering insights, and providing hands-on problem-solving to deliver solutions.
Taking a proactive approach, ensuring effectiveness and efficiency in overcoming technical and operational challenges.
Diligently working on critical projects to ensure they are executed on time, cost-effectively, and meet quality standards.
Drive solutions that optimize the product and processing cost models. Continuously seek improvements.
Minimum Qualifications:
Bachelor's or advanced degree in Polymer Chemistry, Polymer Engineering, or a related field.
5+ years experience in R&D, product development, or related.
Proficiency in using various analytical tools and methods to diagnose and resolve product defects and process issues.
Strong collaboration and team-building skills, with a demonstrated ability to think critically and solve complex problems.
US citizenship or permanent authorization to work in the United States.
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience in industrial R&D and manufacturing environments.
Knowledge of statistical process control (SPC), root cause analysis, and design of experiments (DOE).
Ability to connect technical decisions to broader business and economic considerations.
Expertise in roll-to-roll film processing and the development of film formulations and coatings.
Experience in UV-cure resin formulation and solvent-based ink systems.
Ability to quickly derive and iterate formulation solutions.
Experience or knowledge of electrokinetic and electrophoretic systems
Experience developing and launching glazing, windows, and/or dynamic glazing systems.