Advanced Materials Engineer, Global Materials Science

Join Amazon's Global Materials Science (GMS) organization as we build the future of sustainable e-commerce packaging — from the paper machine through the converting line and into our global fulfillment network. As an Advanced Materials Engineer, you'll bring deep paper manufacturing, converting process, and equipment engineering expertise to drive materials innovation at scale. This is a hands-on, technically rigorous role where you'll work directly with paper mills, converters, and equipment OEMs to develop, optimize, and scale kraft and extensible kraft paper grades and paper-based packaging formats. You'll bridge the gap between raw material production, machine design, converting operations, and Amazon's packaging performance requirements — turning process and equipment knowledge into breakthrough materials solutions. Key job responsibilities Paper Manufacturing Process Expertise: • Apply deep knowledge of paper formation, wet end chemistry, pressing, drying, calendering, and rewinding to develop and optimize kraft paper grades for e-commerce packaging applications. • Evaluate and improve basis weight, moisture profiles, and roll quality attributes in partnership with paper mill suppliers. • Understand and leverage how unit operations at the paper mill level impact downstream paper properties — tensile, stretch, tear, stiffness, porosity, and surface characteristics. • Support development and qualification of extensible kraft paper grades, including understanding of processes such as compaction, micro-creping, and related technologies that impart extensibility. Paper Converting & Packaging Manufacturing: • Drive paper bag converting process development and optimization — including adhesive application, folding, gluing, label application, printing, and finishing operations. • Evaluate how paper properties interact with converting equipment and processes to influence final package quality, runnability, and yield. • Understand and troubleshoot converting line performance issues at the intersection of material properties and machine design — adhesive bond strength, ink adhesion, fold crack resistance, dimensional stability, and web handling behavior. • Understand unit operations within paper bag converting — rewetting, drying, folding, creasing, gluing, rewinding — and how machine parameters at each stage affect final product quality. • Understand vertical and horizontal bag formation processes and the material property requirements unique to each — including how paper stiffness, stretch, coefficient of friction, and grain direction influence bag geometry, seal integrity, and line speed. • Collaborate with converting partners to optimize machine settings, reduce waste, and improve throughput for paper mailer and bag formats. Equipment & Machine Design: • Evaluate, specify, and help develop converting and paper processing equipment — including bag machines, folders, gluers, coaters, slitters, rewinders, and web handling systems. • Apply mechanical engineering principles to understand how machine geometry, nip pressures, tensions, speeds, temperature zones, and dwell times affect material behavior and product quality. • Collaborate with equipment OEMs and internal engineering teams on machine design, modification, and capability upgrades to process new paper grades and packaging formats. • Develop equipment specifications and acceptance criteria for new converting machinery, including defining process windows and material-machine interaction requirements. • Understand and optimize tension control, web guiding, and web tracking systems across converting and rewinding operations — ensuring consistent material feed, alignment, and registration throughout the converting process. • Evaluate bag formation machinery for both vertical form-fill-seal (VFFS) and horizontal converting configurations — understanding how machine design choices impact bag quality, material utilization, and throughput. • Troubleshoot mechanical and process issues on converting lines — diagnosing whether root cause is material, machine, or process-related and driving solutions across all three. • Support design reviews for new or modified converting equipment, providing materials and process perspective to ensure machines are designed for the target material properties. Coatings, Adhesives & Web Processing: • Lead development and qualification of coating and adhesive systems for paper packaging applications — including barrier coatings, heat-seal coatings, water-based adhesives, and hot-melt adhesives. • Evaluate coating weight, uniformity, adhesion, and functional performance across substrates and converting conditions. • Work with coating and adhesive suppliers to optimize formulations and application processes for manufacturing scale. • Understand rewetting, moisture conditioning, and drying operations as they relate to coating application, adhesive activation, and paper dimensional stability during converting. Capital Projects & Piloting: • Conduct techno-economic analysis on capital projects related to paper manufacturing, converting equipment, and process technology investments. • Lead piloting activities — from trial planning and execution at supplier facilities through data analysis and go/no-go recommendations. • Support equipment installation, commissioning, and startup for new converting and process technology deployments. • Manage contractor relationships and coordinate technical workstreams during capital project execution. • Participate in equipment design reviews, factory acceptance testing (FAT), and site acceptance testing (SAT) for new converting and process machinery. Specifications & Quality: • Define paper and converting material specifications based on critical performance thresholds required for packaging to protect products and survive the fulfillment network. • Translate operational requirements into measurable material properties and acceptable ranges at both the paper mill and converter lev