Polymer R&D Manager Full Time

Company: Manna Rubber Products Pvt. Ltd.

Location: Rubber Park Industrial Area, Airapuram, Kerala

Job Type: Full-time

About Us

At Manna Group of Companies, we are expanding our horizons with a brand-new, vertically integrated production unit. Our state-of-the-art facility features a dedicated rubber crushing, grinding, and reclaiming plant, alongside a high-capacity press complex.

We take pride in our robust, in-house mixing facility—fully equipped with K4 internal mixers and Banbury mixing mills—supported by a comprehensive, fully functional testing laboratory capable of evaluating everything from raw compounds to finished products. As we launch our new line of premium mat products, we are looking for a sharp, hands-on R&D professional to drive our polymer design, research, and formulation needs.

The Role

We are seeking an experienced R&D Polymer Specialist to be the technical anchor of our new unit. In this role, you will dual-manage our reclaiming formulations and our hydraulic press mat production. While the reclaimed rubber produced in our facility will be utilized across our product ecosystem, it won’t necessarily be the exclusive material for our mat line—giving you the creative freedom to design optimized compounds using both virgin and recycled polymers.

Key Responsibilities

• Formulation & Recipe Design: Develop and optimize specialized rubber compounding recipes for heavy-duty mat products, utilizing virgin rubbers, blends, or reclaimed materials where appropriate.
• Reclaiming R&D: Oversee and refine the reclaiming formulations within our crushing, grinding, and reclaiming lines to ensure high-quality recycled rubber output.
• Mastering the Mix: Manage compounding and mixing cycles utilizing our K4 internal mixers and Banbury mixing mills to achieve perfect material dispersion.
• Molding & Pressing: Fine-tune parameters (temperature, pressure, cure time) across our multiple hydraulic presses for defect-free mat production.
• End-to-End Lab Testing: Utilize our fully equipped laboratory facility to conduct rigorous quality testing on raw materials, masterbatches, intermediate compounds, and final finished mat products.

What We Are Looking For (Requirements)

• Education: Diploma in Polymer Technology or Rubber Technology.
• Industry Experience: Proven track record working within the reclaimed rubber industry and rubber recycling processes.
• Product Expertise: Direct, hands-on experience in the formulation and manufacturing of rubber mat products.
• Equipment & Technical Familiarity:
• Strong practical knowledge of K4 mixers and Banbury mixing mills.
• Experience with multi-station hydraulic presses (compression molding).
• Proficient in operating rubber laboratory testing equipment (e.g., rheometers, tensile testers, hardness gauges) to validate compound quality.
• Attributes: A problem-solver who seamlessly bridges the gap between laboratory analysis and shop-floor manufacturing.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary package and performance-driven incentives.
• The opportunity to lead R&D in a brand-new facility backed by top-tier mixing and lab infrastructure.
• A collaborative environment focused on sustainability and product excellence.