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Job Title: Product Developer.

Division: Abrasives Systems Division.

Location: Bangalore, India.

Role Summary:

- The Product Developer- Abrasives Systems will be responsible for the development, engineering, and localization of nonwoven, coated, and portable bonded abrasive products.

- This role requires strong hands- on technical capability, deep materials and process knowledge, and the ability to translate innovation into robust, manufacturable products through phase- gate commercialization.

- The individual will collaborate closely with global, area and India R&D, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and marketing teams to deliver differentiated abrasive solutions aligned with customer needs and regional market requirements.

Key Responsibilities:

Product Development:

- Develop and engineer nonwoven, coated, and portable bonded abrasive products from concept through commercialization.

- Apply materials science, chemistry, and process engineering principles to optimize performance, cost, quality, and manufacturability.

- Lead formulation development, process optimization, and product robustness activities.

- Build and validate proof- of- concepts, prototypes, and pilot- scale trials.

- Engineer products for desired cut, finish, flexibility, conformability, and durability.

- Work hands-on with wet chemistry, coating, curing, and web handling equipment.

- Address performance attributes such as cut rate, life, heat management, and surface finish.

- Develop resin- bonded cut- off wheels and grinding wheels.

- Optimize wheel properties including strength, safety, cut performance, and operator comfort.

- Support molding, pressing, curing, and finishing processes.

Localization & Manufacturing Support:

- Localize global technologies to regional raw materials, suppliers, and manufacturing capabilities.

- Qualify alternate raw materials and conduct equivalency and benchmarking studies.

- Provide technical support during scale- up, technology transfer, and plant start- ups.

- Troubleshoot quality, yield, and performance issues using root- cause analysis and data- driven methods.

Required Qualifications:

- Master's or PhD in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Polymer Science, or related technical discipline.

- 7-10 years of experience in R&D, product development, or product engineering within abrasives or related materials industries.

- Demonstrated experience in nonwoven, coated, and/or portable bonded abrasives product development.

- Strong technical expertise in thermoset resin systems (phenolic, epoxy, urethane).

- Hands-on experience with wet chemistry, formulation development, and pilot/manufacturing equipment.

- Experience with stage- gate commercialization processes.

- Proven ability to support manufacturing scale- up and quality consistency.

- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

- Experience generating patents or IP disclosures.

- Knowledge of abrasive product safety standards and testing methods.

- Experience localizing products for cost- sensitive or emerging markets.

- Demonstrated leadership in cross- functional or global project teams.

- Familiarity with continuous improvement, lean, or Six Sigma methodologies.

Key Competencies:

- Strong problem- solving and analytical skills.

- Hands- on, experimental mindset.

- Customer- focused product engineering approach.

- Ability to influence without authority.

- Passion for innovation and learning.