Data Scientist - Machine Learning

Founded in 1920, Eastman is a global specialty materials company that produces a broad range of products found in items people use every day. With the purpose of enhancing the quality of life in a material way, Eastman works with customers to deliver innovative products and solutions while maintaining a commitment to safety and sustainability. The company’s innovation-driven growth model takes advantage of world-class technology platforms, deep customer engagement, and differentiated application development to grow its leading positions in attractive end markets such as transportation, building and construction, and consumables.

As a globally inclusive company, Eastman employs approximately 14,000 people around the world and serves customers in more than 100 countries. The company had 2024 revenue of approximately $9.4 billion and is headquartered in Kingsport, Tennessee, USA. For more information, visit

Data Scientists at Eastman provide actionable insights using advanced analytics to help the company make better and faster decisions. Our centralized Data & Analytics department is organized into specialized groups including Applied Statistics, AI/Machine Learning, Operations Research, and Generative AI. As a Data Scientist in AI/ML at Eastman, you will design, build, and operationalize predictive and prescriptive models that deliver measurable business impact—from optimizing manufacturing processes and accelerating product development to enabling new growth initiatives.

You will collaborate closely with chemical engineers, chemists, process engineers, and business partners across manufacturing and R&D, translating complex technical challenges into scalable machine learning solutions. Our team applies MLOps best practices throughout the model lifecycle—from development and validation to production deployment within modern cloud platforms. Join us in Kingsport, TN, and apply your expertise to develop cutting-edge AI/ML solutions that create real value.

• Network across manufacturing, R&D, and business functions to identify and collaboratively execute on challenges solvable through machine learning—from novel solutions to process optimization of existing operations
• Design, develop, and deploy machine learning models using Python for manufacturing process optimization, product development and formulation, predictive analytics, demand forecasting, and computer vision applications
• Build production-ready ML solutions within enterprise platforms (Databricks, Azure ML) including model training, containerization, endpoint deployment, and monitoring
• Develop and maintain scalable, modular, well-documented code following MLOps best practices including version control, logging/metadata standards, and CI/CD principles
• Participate in code reviews, architectural discussions, and knowledge sharing to maintain high-quality, production-ready deliverables across the team
• Clearly communicate machine learning methodology, results, and business impact to technical and non-technical stakeholders through presentations, documentation, and visualizations
• Collaborate with chemical engineers, chemists, process engineers, control engineers, statisticians, and business intelligence experts to integrate ML solutions into manufacturing operations, product development, and business processes
• Support ML governance processes including Responsible AI Council reviews, risk assessments, and compliance with enterprise standards

Required:

• M.S. or Ph.D. in a relevant field such as Data Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, or Operations Research with zero to two years of experience
• Strong foundation in statistical and machine learning theory with ability to select, apply, and evaluate appropriate techniques for complex problems
• Hands‑on experience building predictive models and deploying them to production environments using Python
• Proficiency with modern ML frameworks (scikit‑learn, XGBoost/Cat Boost, Tensor Flow/PyTorch) and data manipulation libraries (pandas, polars)
• Experience with version control (Git), collaborative development, and code review processes
• Strong written and oral communication…