Full-Time
Computer-Aided Engineering Engineer-Structural
Ascend Performance Materials
1,001-5,000 employees
Manufactures nylon 6,6 resin and plastics
No salary listed
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
In Person
Master's
 Mechanical Engineering (1) |
|---|
Get referred to Ascend Performance Materials
See people who can refer or advise you
- A master's degree in Mechanical Engineering or Plastic Engineering from an accredited university.
- At least 5 years of automotive or general industrial computer-aided engineering experience with knowledge of plastic applications associated with structural systems, including injection molding processing and plastic mechanical behavior.
- Experience with structural finite element analysis tools including Abaqus and HyperWorks.
- Experience performing and interpreting static, dynamic, fatigue, and creep analyses of plastic components, including nonlinear material behavior, durability assessments, load path evaluation, and correlation of simulation results with physical testing.
- Conduct computer-aided engineering simulations to support project timelines and key program milestones.
- Support existing core applications and strategic growth initiatives by using computer-aided engineering tools to predict and optimize the performance of materials in customer applications.
- Collaborate with regional computer-aided engineering and application development engineers to develop, review, and manage material characterization data, simulation models, technical analyses, and customer presentations.
- Validate and correlate simulation results with physical testing and real-world component performance to improve model accuracy and reliability.
- Conduct engineering analyses to support root cause investigations, including crashworthiness, structural deformation, durability, and failure assessments.
- Optimize designs and material solutions to achieve the best balance of cost, weight, manufacturability, and performance.
- Serve as the regional application development engineering resource by providing mechanical engineering support and technical consultation to internal stakeholders and external customers.
- Support material selection, product design optimization, and failure analysis activities to address customer challenges and improve product performance.
- Develop and implement innovative simulation methodologies, analysis workflows, and best practices to support emerging applications, new customer opportunities, and advanced engineering solutions.
- Communicate technical findings and recommendations through reports, presentations, and customer interactions.
Ascend Performance Materials is a global chemical manufacturer that produces chemicals, plastics, and fibers, and is the world’s largest fully integrated producer of nylon 6,6 resin. It operates end-to-end production and distribution from raw materials to finished nylon 6,6 across facilities in North America with regional offices around the world, using an integrated supply chain to serve diverse industries. Its scale and full integration set it apart, combining a broad material portfolio with a global manufacturing network to reliably supply automotive, electronics, and consumer goods markets. The company aims to maintain integrated operations and a wide reach to be a leading supplier of nylon 6,6 resin and performance materials.
Company Size
1,001-5,000
Company Stage
N/A
Total Funding
N/A
Headquarters
Houston, Texas
Founded
2009
Get referred to Ascend Performance Materials
See people who can refer or advise you
Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- January 2026 emergence cut about $1.3 billion of debt and lowered interest burden.
- February 2026 acetonitrile startup expands higher-margin specialty chemical sales from Chocolate Bayou.
- Patrick Schumacher took over December 10, 2025, bringing Olin and Celanese operational discipline.
What critics are saying
- Ascend spent 2025 in Chapter 11; debt holders now control the company after restructuring.
- June 2025 Lianyungang HMD wind-down shrinks Asia capacity and signals weak China economics.
- If nylon 6,6 pricing stays compressed through 2026, another restructuring or asset sale follows.
What makes Ascend Performance Materials unique
- Ascend is the largest integrated nylon 6,6 producer, spanning monomers, resins, and fibers.
- Chocolate Bayou and Alvin support U.S.-made acrylonitrile, acetonitrile, and PA66 supply.
- Starflam 500 targets high-voltage automotive and electronics applications with UL94 V-0 performance.
Help us improve and share your feedback! Did you find this helpful?
Benefits
Health Insurance
Wellness Program
Performance Bonus
Professional Development Budget
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↑ 3%1 year growth
↑ 3%2 year growth
↑ 5%Schumacher to lead materials maker ascend. Ascend Performance Materials will have a new CEO as it exits Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Plastikos Medical is expanding its ISO Class 7 clean room capacity with the addition of three Arburg injection molding machines to support growing demand from medical device OEMs.
Ascend Performance Materials appoints Patrick Schumacher as Chief Executive Officer. Ascend Performance Materials, a leading producer of high-performance and durable engineered materials for everyday essentials and new technologies, today announced that it has appointed Patrick Schumacher as Chief Executive Officer, effective today. Patrick succeeds Phil McDivitt, who will remain with Ascend as a special advisor to the Board and CEO to ensure a smooth transition as the company completes its financial restructuring and emerges from the Chapter 11 process. McDivitt joined Ascend in 2015, served as president and CEO since 2017, and oversaw the expansion of the company's global manufacturing footprint. "Over the past several years, we have built a strong foundation and made tremendous progress scaling our engineered plastics business and improving our safety record, culture, and customer relationships," said McDivitt. "As we work toward a successful financial restructuring, I am confident that now is the right time to transition leadership of Ascend. Patrick has a strong record of driving operational improvements, increasing profitability, and leading teams through transformation. His leadership will be instrumental as the company continues to execute on its growth strategy, build industry trust, and deliver long-term value." "I am thrilled to lead what will become Ascend's resurgence," said Patrick Schumacher. "The people of Ascend have exhibited incredible resilience and determination and I'm honored to work alongside them to bring the company back to strong financial performance. Together, we will drive Ascend forward with a continued focus on operating safely and providing customers with the high-performance materials that help them lead their respective industries. I am grateful for Phil's many contributions to Ascend and his support throughout this transition." About Patrick Schumacher With more than 25 years of experience leading global businesses across the chemicals and industrial sectors, Schumacher has built a reputation for strategic transformation, streamlining complex organizations, and delivering higher profitability. Before joining Ascend, he was corporate vice president at Olin Corporation, where he led the Chlor Alkali Products & Vinyls division and the global integrated supply chain, achieving record financial results. Prior to Olin, he held senior executive roles at Celanese Corporation, including Senior Vice President of Engineered Materials (CEM) and Acetate Tow, Vice President Emulsion Polymers, and Vice President Strategy and M&A. Earlier in his career, he led the chemicals M&A practice at The Blackstone Group and held senior investment banking roles at UBS and Lehman Brothers. He holds a bachelor's degree in finance and international business from the University of Wisconsin and a master's degree in finance from Boston College's Carroll School of Management.
Aspyr Living announced lead investment from RJD Green as part of a $3.0M seed funding round for launch of Ascend. Aspyr Living, a natural lifestyle company, announced a $250,000 lead investment from RJD Green (OTCPK: RJDG) as part of a $3.0 million seed funding round. RJD Green will provide both capital and growth expertise to support the launch of Aspyr Living's innovative new consumer brand, Ascend(R). Aspyr Living helps people live healthier lives with a new generation of safe, high performance home, laundry and personal care products that outperform toxic chemical-based national brands. Its flagship brand, Ascend(R), features proprietary, patent-pending botanical technologies preferred by consumers over toxic national brands after a single use. The funding will be instrumental in bringing these products to market and solidifying Aspyr Living as an emerging leader in the home, health, and wellness space. "We've cracked the code to delivering superior performance for naturally derived household cleaning and laundry products using botanicals, instead of petrochemicals. The results are household cleaning & laundry products that are safer, stronger, and preferred by consumers," said Benjamin Shell, CEO of Aspyr Living. "We're thrilled to have RJD Green as our lead investor for this funding round," said Shell. "Their track record of building companies is precisely the kind of expertise we need as we scale operations and introduce our industry-first products to North America." RJD Green's investment builds on a successful 3,000-store Walmart private label test, which demonstrated significant consumer demand for products based on Aspyr Living-derived technologies. The pilot generated over $5 million in sales from 2 million units, with over 98% of consumers preferring the products over top chemical brands. The test also showed a strong 70%+ repurchase rate, proving mass market appeal and a loyal customer base. Aspyr Living is expected to hit retail shelves with its Ascend(R) Home Essentials line in early 2026, followed by the launch of its groundbreaking Ascend(R) Sanitizing Laundry Detergent in Summer 2026. It's the first consumer detergent to kill 99.9% of bacteria in a home washing machine and represents the most significant advance in home laundry care in 70 years. Aspyr Living is a natural lifestyle company transforming the $32 billion home and laundry care products market. The company's vision is to help families live healthier lives by providing safe, effective, and science-backed products and removing toxic chemicals from U.S. homes. RJD Green, Inc. (OTCPK: RJDG) is a publicly traded holding company focused on acquiring and managing assets and companies in the construction, green environmental, and healthcare service sectors. RJD Green is dedicated to providing shareholders with access to small and medium businesses with significant growth opportunities.
All other facilities continue to operate as usual; shipments and product delivery to continue in normal courseRemains on track to emerge from Chapter 11 this fallHOUSTON, June 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Ascend Performance Materials, a leading producer of high-performance and durable engineered materials for everyday essentials and new technologies, announced today its decision to initiate a wind down of operations at its hexamethylene diamine production facility in Lianyungang, China. This decision follows a comprehensive evaluation of the facility's long-term viability amid evolving market dynamics and regulatory landscapes."Ascend has made significant strides improving the business as we continue to focus on driving operational effectiveness," said Phil McDivitt, President and CEO of Ascend Performance Materials. "In April, with the support of our lenders, we initiated a financial restructuring process to reduce our debt and position Ascend for the future. As we evaluated the market conditions and ongoing trade disputes, we determined that the LYG production facility is no longer the best way to support our customers in the region. Accordingly, we have made the decision to wind down the facility."He continued, "Decisions that impact our people are never easy. The people in our LYG plant showed excellence and dedication in everything they did, and we thank them for their contributions to Ascend, and this decision is not a reflection of the hard work and dedication of the team in LYG
HOUSTON, May 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Ascend Performance Materials announced today the production of high-purity acrylonitrile at its Chocolate Bayou plant in Alvin, Texas, after the installation and commissioning of new purification equipment."We're excited to provide our high-purity acrylonitrile into new end-markets and support technologies that drive innovation and sustainability," said Alex Mihut, vice president of performance chemicals at Ascend. "This advancement not only strengthens our product portfolio but also reinforces our commitment to delivering essential materials that meet the evolving needs of our customers and the industry."Acrylonitrile is used to make a variety of polymers and synthetic rubbers. High-purity acrylonitrile has applications in aerospace, renewable energy technologies and healthcare. Ascend's equipment was funded in part through a contract with the U.S. government to ensure the supply of vital raw materials for the domestic production of nitrile rubber gloves."This is a significant milestone in this site's 63-year history," said Scott Van Wagener, senior site director of the Chocolate Bayou plant. "We continue to invest in technologies that grow our site and support our customers' growth."Besides high-purity acrylonitrile, Ascend will further expand capabilities in Chocolate Bayou to include acetonitrile production