Staff Engineer, New Product Development (Hybrid 4 days a week in office, Franklin Lakes, NJ)
Shape the Future of Medical Materials
Are you ready to help reinvent the materials that power the next generation of healthcare devices?
At BD, we are advancing a strategic transformation from traditional elastomer technologies to next-generation thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) platforms that will support millions of patients worldwide. As a Staff Engineer within our TPE Research and Material Platform Development team, you will define the science, technology, and material platforms. These platforms enable innovation across BD's infusion, drug delivery, and vascular access portfolios.
This is more than a materials development role. You will combine scientific curiosity, first-principles thinking, and hands-on experimentation to solve complex challenges at the intersection of polymer science, product performance, manufacturing, and patient needs. Working alongside experts across R&D, Quality, Regulatory, Operations, and external partners, you will transform scientific insights into scalable solutions that can shape the future of healthcare.
What You'll Do
We are looking for a scientist and engineer who thrives on difficult problems and isn't satisfied with simply knowing that something works. We want someone driven to understand why it works.
In this role, you will lead the development of next-generation TPE formulations and structural systems for medical-device applications. You will design and execute research strategies that deepen our understanding of how polymer composition, morphology, processing, sterilization, and aging influence device performance. Through structured experimentation and advanced characterization, you will uncover the relationships between material structure and product function, enabling more predictive and efficient development.
Help us build the scientific foundation for future material platforms by developing robust characterization methods, creating predictive models, and translating complex data into clear design rules and engineering decisions. Success requires a combination of creativity and discipline: generating new ideas, challenging assumptions, and rigorously validating hypotheses through data.
Beyond the laboratory, you will work across the product development lifecycle. We will rely on you to translate customer, manufacturing, quality, and regulatory requirements into material design inputs, specifications, and verification strategies. Your technical judgment will help guide material selection, risk retirement, regulatory submissions, and future platform strategy.
As a technical leader, you will also foster collaboration with suppliers, universities, external laboratories, and internal subject matter experts. We value individuals who can communicate complex scientific concepts clearly, influence without authority, mentor others, and build alignment around data-driven decisions.
Who You Are
You are a naturally curious scientist or engineer who enjoys exploring new ideas and applying first-principles thinking to complex technical challenges. You combine deep technical knowledge with strong experimental rigor and are comfortable navigating uncertainty while driving progress.
You have demonstrated success in materials research, formulation development, polymer science, or related fields and possess the ability to translate technical discoveries into meaningful product outcomes. You are equally comfortable discussing molecular-level mechanisms, experimental design, statistical analysis, manufacturing implications, and business impact.
Most importantly, you demonstrate the qualities that define our strongest innovators:
- You work hard and take ownership of challenging technical problems.
- You are persistent when experiments fail or results are unclear.
- You use sound scientific reasoning and engineering judgment to make decisions.
- You remain intellectually curious and continuously seek deeper understanding.
- You communicate clearly and effectively across diverse audiences.
- You produce high-quality technical documentation that supports reproducible and data-driven decisions.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Materials Science, Polymer Science, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
- Significant experience in polymer research, formulation development, material characterization, or product-focused materials science.
- Proven experience designing experiments, analyzing complex datasets, and developing structure-property-performance relationships.
- Strong scientific writing, technical communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
- Demonstrated ability to independently lead technically challenging research programs.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master's degree or PhD in Materials Science, Polymer Science, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, or a related field.
- Experience with TPEs, TPVs, elastomers, rubber formulations, polymer blends, or medical-device materials.
- Expertise in material characterization techniques such as rheology, mechanical testing, microscopy, spectroscopy, thermal analysis, or surface science.
- Experience applying DOE, statistical modeling, measurement system analysis, or predictive modeling techniques.
- Experience within regulated industries such as medical devices, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, or advanced manufacturing.
- Record of innovation demonstrated through patents, publications, conference presentations, or technology commercialization efforts.
At BD, we prioritize on-site collaboration because we believe it fosters creativity, innovation, and effective problem-solving, which are essential in the fast-paced healthcare industry. For most roles, we require a minimum of 4 days of in-office presence per week to maintain our culture of excellence and ensure smooth operations, while also recognizing the importance of flexibility and work-life balance. Remote or field-based positions will have different workplace arrangements which will be indicated in the job posting.
Health and Well-being Benefits
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- Critical Illness Insurance
- Accidental Injury Insurance
- Short-term disability coverage
- Long-term disability insurance
- Long-term care with life insurance
Other Well-being Resources
- Anxiety management program
- Sleep improvement program
- Diabetes management program
- Emotional/mental health support programs
- Weight management programs
- Gastrointestinal health program
- Substance use management program
- Musculoskeletal surgery, cancer treatment, and bariatric surgery benefit
Retirement and Financial Well-being
- BD Deferred Compensation and Restoration Plan
- Baxter Credit Union (BCU)
- College financial aid and application guidance
Life Balance Programs
- Paid time off (PTO), including all required State leaves
- Educational assistance/tuition reimbursement
- Group auto and home insurance
- Discounts on products and services
- Academic Achievement Scholarship
- Service Recognition Awards
- Employer matching donation
Other Life Balance Programs
- Backup day care and eldercare
- Support for neurodivergent adults, children, and caregivers
- Caregiving assistance for elderly and special needs individuals
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Support for fertility, birthing, postpartum, and age-related hormonal changes
Leave Programs
- Family and Medical Leave (FML)
- Jury and Witness Duty Leave
Primary Work LocationUSA NJ - Franklin Lakes
Additional Locations
Work Shift
At BD, we reward, support and develop our associates through our comprehensive Total Rewards program. We are committed to attracting and retaining high quality talent by providing reward and recognition opportunities that promote a performance-based culture, as well as a competitive package of compensation and benefits programs. You can learn more on our career site under "Our Commitment to You."
Our salary or hourly rate ranges reward associates fairly and competitively. We regularly review these ranges and factors, such as location, contribute to the range displayed.
Our pay is based on the role and the necessary skills and education to perform it successfully. The salary or hourly rate offered is determined by the role's specific requirements, including any applicable step rate pay system at the work location. Salary or hourly pay ranges are influenced by labor laws and Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) requirements applicable to the work location which may also affect the workplace arrangement of the role.
Salary Range Information
$135,500.00 - $216,800.00 USD Annual
