Research Scientist - Labels & Packaging Materials

Build your Career with an Industry Leader   As the global leader of premium labels, MCC helps brands stand out in competitive markets and inspire positive consumer experiences. Backed by over a century of printing experience, MCC is focused on the future by developing consumer-driven innovations and sustainable packaging solutions. Working for our team, you can truly make a difference.     R&D Research Scientist – Label Printing & Packaging The R&D Research Scientist will lead research, product development, and innovation projects for label printing and packaging applications. This role is responsible for identifying new technologies, developing and validating material solutions, designing experiments, building technical knowledge, and advancing concepts from early-stage research through commercialization. The position will focus on inks, coatings, adhesives, primers, substrates, films, papers, and print-related materials, with an emphasis on performance, manufacturability, sustainability, regulatory readiness, and customer value. The successful candidate will work closely with R&D, operations, quality, sales, procurement, regulatory, suppliers, and customers to turn technical ideas into scalable label solutions. Why work at MCC:   Compensation:  Competitive Compensation Generous benefits package including medical, dental, vision, disability, life insurance and 401(k)  Paid Holidays: New Years, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, plus two floating Holidays  Key Responsibilities • Lead R&D projects from concept through feasibility, prototype development, validation, scale-up, and commercialization. • Identify, evaluate, and develop new materials, formulations, substrates, print technologies, and converting solutions that support the company’s innovation pipeline. • Design and execute structured experiments, including design of experiments, to understand material interactions, optimize performance, and accelerate technical decision-making. • Develop and optimize inks, coatings, adhesives, primers, varnishes, and substrate combinations for pressure-sensitive labels, shrink sleeves, in-mold labels, and other label constructions. • Build technical understanding of adhesion, cure response, surface energy, coating performance, print quality, durability, migration risk, recyclability, and end-use performance. • Create prototypes, lab samples, pilot trials, and production trial plans to evaluate new concepts under realistic manufacturing and customer-use conditions. • Analyze experimental data, summarize findings, draw conclusions, and recommend next steps for technical development and commercialization. • Develop, validate, and improve laboratory test methods used to evaluate label materials, print performance, and finished product functionality. • Collaborate with suppliers, universities, technology partners, and internal stakeholders to source new ideas and assess emerging material or process technologies. • Partner with operations, quality, regulatory, procurement, sales, and technical service teams to ensure new solutions are scalable, compliant, cost-effective, and aligned with customer needs. • Support intellectual property development by documenting inventions, technical discoveries, and potential patent opportunities. • Prepare clear technical reports, project updates, presentations, specifications, and recommendations for technical and business audiences. • Provide scientific guidance and mentorship to technicians, engineers, and junior scientists supporting R&D projects. • Maintain awareness of industry trends, competitive technologies, sustainability drivers, regulatory requirements, and emerging label printing innovations. Required Qualifications • Bachelor’s degree in chemistry, Materials Science, Polymer Science, Chemical Engineering, Packaging Science, Printing Technology, or a related technical field; master’s or Ph.D. preferred. • Experience in R&D, product development, materials development, formulation, packaging development, or applied research within printing, labels, packaging, coatings, adhesives, inks, polymers, films, paper, or related materials. • Strong technical understanding of material interactions, surface energy, adhesion, curing mechanisms, polymer behavior, coating performance, print quality, converting requirements, and end-use performance. • Demonstrated ability to design experiments, analyze data, identify root causes, validate hypotheses, and translate findings into actionable development plans. • Hands-on laboratory experience with formulation, sample preparation, prototype development, test method development, analytical equipment, and technical documentation. • Ability to move projects through the R&D stage-gate process, including feasibility, validation, scale-up, commercialization support, and post-launch learning. • Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple innovation and development projects concurrently. • Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present technical findings and business implications to technical and non-technical audiences. • Commitment to safe laboratory practices, quality systems, regulatory awareness, and continuous improvement. Preferred Experience • Experience leading new product development, platform development, material qualification, or technology scouting projects. • Experience with flexographic, digital, offset, gravure, or screen-printing processes and their impact on material selection and product performance. • Knowledge of UV, LED, water-based, solvent-based, or energy-curable ink and coating systems. • Experience with pressure-sensitive label materials, release liners, films, papers, foils, adhesives, overlaminates, and specialty label constructions. • Familiarity with color management, print defect analysis, press trials, customer qualification processes, production scale-up, and commercialization readiness. • Experience with analytical tools such as FTIR, microscopy, spectrophotometry, tensile testing, peel testing, migration testing, or other packaging and materials characterization methods. • Working knowledge of food contact, chemical compliance, sustainability, recyclability, downgauging, waste reduction, or circular packaging considerations. • Experience supporting intellectual property development, technical disclosures, competitive benchmarking, or patent-related technical reviews. Core Competencies • Scientific curiosity and disciplined experimental thinking • Innovation mindset with ability to convert ideas into practical solutions • Strong analytical thinking, technical judgment, and attention to detail • Hands-on approach to lab work, prototyping, testing, and technical problem-solving • Ability to connect research findings to customer needs, manufacturing realities, and business value • Effective collaboration across technical, commercial, regulatory, supplier, and manufacturing teams • Clear communication, technical storytelling, and documentation skills • Ability to balance long-term research priorities with near-term commercialization needs Work Environment This position will involve work in laboratory, office, pilot, and manufacturing environments. The role may require hands-on experimental work, prototype development, analytical testing, press trials, supplier evaluations, customer qualification support, and production scale-up. Occasional travel may be required to manufacturing sites, suppliers, customers, technical conferences, or industry events.