Head of Research And Development

ManpowerGroup Puerto Rico; Bayamón (PR); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

ManpowerGroup Puerto Rico seeks a strategic and hands-on Head of R&D / Head of Innovation & Technical Development to lead the company’s innovation agenda and drive development of next-generation products. This executive role connects product innovation with formulation, manufacturing, quality, technical support, and business growth.

The ideal candidate combines deep technical expertise with strong leadership, guiding projects from lab development to industrial manufacturing while collaborating

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Materials Science, Polymer Science, or related field.
• Extensive experience in R&D, Product Development, Innovation, Formulation, or Applied Materials.
• Proven track record leading technical projects from laboratory development to industrial manufacturing.
• Experience working cross-functionally with Manufacturing, Quality, Operations, and Commercial teams.
• Leadership experience managing teams, programs, or technology initiatives.
• Ability and willingness to work from Puerto Rico.

Responsibilities

• Lead the company's innovation agenda and drive development of next-generation products.
• Connect product innovation, formulation, manufacturing, quality, technical support, and business growth.
• Lead technical projects from concept to commercialization across labs and manufacturing.
• Bridge innovation and execution across laboratory, manufacturing, supplier, and customer environments.

Skills

R&D leadership

Project leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Technical development

Strategic thinking

Puerto Rico work readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Materials Science, Polymer Science or related field

Job description

Our client, a leading manufacturer of construction materials and waterproofing solutions, is seeking a strategic and hands-on Head of R&D / Head of Innovation & Technical Development to lead the company's innovation agenda and drive the development of next-generation products.

This executive-level role will be responsible for connecting product innovation, formulation, manufacturing, quality, technical support, and business growth. The ideal candidate combines strong technical expertise with leadership capabilities and a passion for bringing innovative products from concept to commercialization.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Materials Science, Polymer Science, or related field.
• Extensive experience in R&D, Product Development, Innovation, Formulation, or Applied Materials.
• Proven track record leading technical projects from laboratory development to industrial manufacturing.
• Experience working cross-functionally with Manufacturing, Quality, Operations, and Commercial teams.
• Leadership experience managing teams, programs, or technology initiatives.
• Ability and willingness to work from Puerto Rico.

Preferred

• Experience in roofing, waterproofing, construction chemicals, coatings, membranes, adhesives, sealants, polymers, asphalt technologies, SBS/APP systems, emulsions, or modified bitumen products.
• Experience with raw material qualification and supplier management.
• Customer-facing technical support or technical marketing experience.
• Bilingual English and Spanish.

What We Are Looking For

We are looking for a visionary yet practical leader who can bridge innovation and execution. The successful candidate will be comfortable working across laboratory, manufacturing, supplier, and customer environments while helping shape the future of product innovation within a growing organization.