Assistant Manager/Deputy Manager – Technical Service (Lab)

Sika; Chakan; On-site; INR 800,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Sika is seeking a Deputy Manager/Asst. Manager – Technical Service Lab in Chakan, Maharashtra. The role involves managing a chemical/material testing lab, ensuring compliance with automotive and industry standards, and leading a team of lab technicians.

Candidates should have 10-12 years in R&D or technical service labs, particularly within the specialty chemicals or adhesives industries. The role also includes customer support and conducting failure analysis.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 10-12 years experience in R&D / Application Test / Technical service laboratories.
• Experience in Specialty Chemicals, Paints, Adhesives and Sealants preferred.
• Candidates with adhesive and sealant industry experience will be given preference.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage chemical/material testing laboratory operations.
• Conduct failure analysis and recommend corrective actions.
• Ensure compliance with automotive quality standards.
• Lead, mentor, and develop laboratory chemists and technicians.
• Support sales in technical presentations and product positioning.

Skills

Laboratory Management

Technical Service & Customer Support

Automotive Compliance & Validation

Team Leadership

Proactive Problem Solving

Education

Graduation / Post Graduation in Chemical/Polymer Science

Job description

Title : Deputy Manager/Asst. Manager – Technical Service Lab

Department : Technical Service

Location : Pune (MH)

Reports To : Technical Service Manager

Target and scope of the position

Strengthen the Automotive & Industry business unit by ensuring the delivery of accurate, reliable, and timely laboratory support to our valued customers. This position enhances customer confidence and contributes to new business opportunities through precise testing, thorough analysis, quality assurance, and effective technical problem‑solving.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Laboratory Management – Lead and manage chemical/material testing laboratory operations. Ensure compliance with relevant standards such as ISO 9001 and automotive & Industry customer‑specific requirements. Maintain calibration, validation, and documentation of laboratory equipment. Drive laboratory excellence by optimizing methods, maintaining compliance with standards, and supporting innovation in product and process development. Ensure precise testing, analysis, and reporting to support engineering, application development, and customer requirements. Supervising and guiding laboratory technicians to ensure efficient workflows and adherence to safety and quality standards. Delegating tasks effectively and monitoring progress to maintain productivity and accuracy. Drive continuous improvement in testing accuracy, turnaround time (TAT).
2. Technical Service & Customer Support – Conduct failure analysis, root cause analysis (RCA), and recommend corrective and preventive actions (CAPA). Support R&D for new product development (NPD) through testing protocols and performance benchmarking. Participate in customer technical reviews, test requirements, plant visits, and quality audits. Reinforce relationships with key customers by providing added value through laboratory‑driven process, quality enhancement, and technical problem‑solving. Act as technical interface between Sales, R&D, Manufacturing, and Customers.
3. Automotive Compliance & Validation – Ensure compliance with automotive quality standards such as IATF 16949 and AIAG Core Tools (APQP, PPAP, FMEA, MSA, SPC). Support PPAP documentation and validation samples. Conduct product performance validation as per OEM specifications. Maintain traceability and test data integrity.
4. Team Leadership & Capability Development – Lead, mentor, and develop laboratory chemists/engineers/technicians. Define KPIs for lab efficiency, accuracy, and customer responsiveness. Drive skill development in advanced testing methods and automotive & Industry standards. Ensure cross‑functional collaboration with QA, Production, and Sales teams.
5. Business & Strategic Contribution – Support Sales in technical presentations, value engineering discussions, and product positioning. Analyse field complaints and convert insights into product improvement initiatives. Optimize testing costs while maintaining compliance and precision. Provide periodic MIS reports on lab performance and customer technical metrics.

Qualifications / Experience

Graduation / Post Graduation in Chemical/Polymer Science, Plastic Technology, Mechanical/Chemistry. Minimum of 10‑12 years experience in R&D / Application Test / Technical service laboratories within relevant market fields such as Specialty Chemicals, Paints, Adhesives and Sealants (Preferably Polyurethane, MS‑SMP, Epoxy, Acrylics). Candidates with experience in adhesives and sealants industry will be given preference.

Key Interfaces

• Internal: Technical Service Manager – Reporting, monitoring.
• Sales and Business Development Engineers and Managers – Providing timely testing updates and support as per business needs.
• Market Field Engineers – Collaborating on the planning, execution of tests and validation activities.

External

• Customers – Value adding, problem solving, quality improvement, cost optimization, new business opportunity, new projects.

Behavioral

• Customer centric approach
• Resilient & focused
• Proactiveness & Problem solving
• Result Orientation & ownership
• Good interpersonal skills with written and verbal English communication.

Enthusiastic & Energetic