Overview
Ascend Performance Materials is a global specialty materials manufacturer with IT users and operations across multiple regions, including the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Ascend IT needs a versatile .NET developer/engineer who can move across three areas that are often separate jobs: building and maintaining custom .NET applications, supporting and extending the third-party/vendor applications already in Ascend's IT portfolio, and building AI-enabled features into both.
This is not a pure greenfield development role — a significant part of the work is keeping existing vendor applications running, configured, and integrated, while progressively introducing AI capabilities (Azure OpenAI, Cognitive Services, ML.NET, or Copilot-style extensions) where they add real value.
This is a hands-on build-and-support role covering all three areas — not a development-only or support-only position. Day-to-day partnership sits primarily with Houston-based IT and business stakeholders, with occasional exposure to users and vendor relationships at Ascend's other global sites.
Key Responsibilities
- Design, develop, and maintain custom .NET applications (C#, ASP.NET Core/MVC, modern .NET) supporting Ascend's business processes.
- Support, configure, customize, patch, and upgrade third-party/vendor applications used across Ascend IT, coordinating directly with vendors when needed.
- Build integrations between internal .NET applications, third-party applications, and enterprise platforms (SAP, OneStream, Microsoft Fabric/Power BI, Azure services) using REST/SOAP APIs, message queues, or middleware.
- Design and implement AI-enabled features using Azure OpenAI, Azure Cognitive Services, ML.NET, or Copilot-style extensions — automating workflows, enhancing user experience, or surfacing intelligent insights.
- Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines (Azure DevOps) for reliable, repeatable application deployment.
- Write clean, tested, maintainable code following secure coding practices, including unit tests and peer code review.
- Troubleshoot production issues across both custom and third-party applications, including AI-feature reliability and cost/performance.
- Document application architecture, integration points, vendor-app configurations, and AI model/prompt design for long-term support by the internal AIT team.
- Partner with IT and business stakeholders to gather requirements — often ambiguous or not yet fully defined — and translate them into technical designs.
- Track emerging AI capabilities in the Microsoft ecosystem (Copilot Studio, Semantic Kernel, Azure AI Foundry) and evaluate where they apply to Ascend's application portfolio.
Required Qualifications — Must Have
- 7 + years of hands-on .NET development experience (C#, ASP.NET Core/MVC, .NET Framework/.NET 6+).
- Experience supporting, configuring, or extending third-party/vendor applications — not exclusively greenfield development.
- Hands-on experience building AI-enabled features using Azure OpenAI/Cognitive Services, ML.NET, or a comparable Microsoft AI stack.
- Experience integrating applications via REST/SOAP APIs, web services, or middleware.
- Strong SQL Server skills.
- Experience with Azure DevOps for CI/CD.
- Clear, professional written documentation habits.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with Copilot Studio, Semantic Kernel, or Azure AI Foundry.
- Experience integrating with SAP or OneStream.
- Experience with Power Platform (Power Apps/Power Automate).
- Familiarity with containerization (Docker) or microservices architecture.
At Ascend Performance Materials, we value transparency and fairness in our hiring process. We do not accept unsolicited resumes from third-party recruiters, search firms, or staffing agencies. Any resumes received from such entities will be considered the property of Ascend Performance Materials, and we will not be obligated to pay any fees for such submissions. Our Talent Acquisition Team actively engages with preferred recruitment partners who have established agreements with us. We encourage all interested candidates to apply directly through our official channels to be considered for any open positions.
About Us:
Ascend Performance Materials is the premium provider of high-quality chemicals, fibers and plastics focused on improving quality of life and inspiring a better tomorrow through innovation. We are a fully integrated material solutions provider with manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe and Asia.
Our global workforce makes the materials used to make safer vehicles, cleaner energy, better medical devices, smarter appliances, and longer-lasting apparel and consumer goods. We are committed to safety, sustainability, and the success of our customers and our communities.
Why work at Ascend?
Our vision is to be the recognized leader in the nylon 6,6 value chain, creating new possibilities with PA66 for everyone, everywhere, every day. We achieve that through living our Ascend values: OARS.
Our OARS values shape how we work, lead, and grow together. We take ownership, stay accountable, operate reliably, and support one another to deliver results safely and consistently. Through clear expectations, empowered decision-making, intentional communication, and continuous feedback, we create a culture built on action, visibility, and shared success.
Together, OARS gives us a shared language and clear direction. These values guide our decisions, shape priorities and set expectations as we move forward – aligned, focused and committed to creating performance materials that improve lives today and inspire a better tomorrow.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, citizenship, genetic information or other protected status under federal, state or local laws.
