Lead R&D Manager: Grease & Open Gear Lubricants

Colonial Group; United States; On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Colonial Group seeks an experienced R&D Manager to lead grease and open gear lubricant (OGL) development across industrial sectors, aligning with growth objectives.

You will mentor R&D chemists, manage projects from concept to commercialization, ensure OEM approvals, and collaborate with suppliers to deliver differentiated products for mining and food-grade markets. This role emphasizes leadership, safety and quality.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, or related scientific field; MS or PhD preferred.
• Minimum 10 years of research experience in formulating greases, open gear lubricants, and/or finished lubricants.
• Hands-on experience with grease manufacturing processes including thickener saponification, kettle operations, milling, and homogenization.
• Knowledge of major thickener systems (lithium, lithium complex, calcium sulfonate, polyurea, clay, and aluminum complex).
• Experience with ASTM, DIN, ISO methods and using analytical equipment (penetration, dropping point, roll stability, water washout, bearing life).
• Experience in lubricants industry, OEMs, additive and base oil companies; proven leadership of technical staff.

Responsibilities

• Lead grease, open gear lubricant (OGL) and semi-solid lubricant development across multiple applications.
• Develop formulations with measurable performance advantages and secure OEM/industry approvals.
• Collaborate with suppliers and industry experts to evaluate base oils, thickeners and additives.
• Design and execute test programs benchmarking against standards and OEM specs.
• Guide scale-up from bench to pilot to full-scale production with manufacturing.
• Maintain knowledge of industry standards (NLGI, ELGI, ASTM, ISO, DIN, STLE).
• Provide technical support to customers and cross-functional teams; mentor R&D staff.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Communication

Problem solving

Mentoring

Collaboration

Technical writing

Attention to detail

Strategic thinking

Networking

Education

BS in Chemical Engineering or related field

MS or PhD preferred

Job description

Colonial Group seeks an experienced R&D Manager to lead grease and open gear lubricant (OGL) development across industrial sectors, aligning with growth objectives.

You will mentor R&D chemists, manage projects from concept to commercialization, ensure OEM approvals, and collaborate with suppliers to deliver differentiated products for mining and food-grade markets. This role emphasizes leadership, safety and quality.