Product Development Operation Lead

PPG; Monroeville (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 85,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

PPG in Monroeville, PA seeks a Product Development Operation Lead to guide technicians and staff in safe, efficient dye development and scale-up. You will partner with scientists, engineers, and manufacturing to meet development objectives and commercialization goals.

You will foster safety, accountability, and continuous improvement while ensuring compliance with safety, quality, and regulatory requirements at the Monroeville R&D Center, reporting to the Senior Research Manager.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a technical discipline related to chemistry or materials.
• 2–4 years in chemical manufacturing, process development, or related fields.
• Experience supervising or leading teams.
• Experience managing laboratory or pilot-scale operations.
• Strong knowledge of chemical process safety and regulatory compliance.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day leadership and performance management for technicians and staff.
• Champion safety culture and ensure regulatory compliance.
• Lead laboratory, pilot-scale and process development activities.
• Coordinate resources to meet project priorities.
• Support scale-up, tech transfer, and troubleshooting with technical teams.
• Drive continuous improvement in safety, quality, productivity.
• Ensure operational readiness through maintenance planning and SOPs.
• Communicate priorities and status to stakeholders.

Skills

Leadership

Safety culture

Process development

Troubleshooting

Communication

Education

Bachelor's in Chemistry/Engineering

Job description

As Product Development Operation Lead, you are responsible for leading technicians and operational staff while ensuring the safe, efficient, and reliable execution of photochromic dye development and scale-up activities. The Operations Lead works closely with scientists, engineers, manufacturing partners, and business stakeholders to deliver development objectives, maintain operational excellence, and support commercialization efforts.

You play a critical leadership role in fostering a culture of safety, accountability, continuous improvement, and collaboration while ensuring compliance with all safety, quality, and regulatory requirements. You will operate at the Monroeville R&D Center and report to the Senior Research Manager.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day leadership, coaching, development, and performance management for technicians and operational staff.
• Champion a strong safety culture and ensure compliance with all environmental, health, safety, quality, and regulatory requirements.
• Lead the safe and efficient execution of laboratory, pilot-scale, and process development activities.
• Coordinate personnel, equipment, materials, and resources to meet project priorities and business objectives.
• Support process scale-up, technology transfer, troubleshooting, and commercialization activities in collaboration with technical teams.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on safety, quality, productivity, and operational effectiveness.
• Ensure operational readiness through effective equipment maintenance planning, SOP implementation, and resource management.
• Communicate operational priorities, project status, risks, and improvement opportunities to stakeholders and leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Chemical Technology, or a related technical discipline preferred.
• Minimum 2 to 4 years of experience in chemical manufacturing, process development, pilot plant operations, specialty chemicals, dyes, pigments, coatings, or related industries.
• Previous supervisory, team leadership, or operations management experience preferred.
• Demonstrated experience managing laboratory or pilot-scale operations.
• Strong knowledge of chemical process safety, laboratory operations, and regulatory compliance requirements.
• Proven analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving capabilities.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills with the ability to influence across functions.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic development and manufacturing support environment.

About Us

PPG: WE PROTECT AND BEAUTIFY THE WORLD®

Through leadership in innovation, sustainability and color, PPG helps customers in industrial, transportation, consumer products, and construction markets and aftermarkets to enhance more surfaces in more ways than does any other company. To learn more, visit www.ppg.com and follow @PPG on X.

The PPG Way 2030

We are customer champions

Proactive. Bold. Trustworthy. Everything we do starts with our customers. We listen, move fast and don’t stop until we solve their biggest challenges. When our customers win, we all grow.

We act with purpose and speed

Agile. Data-driven. Empowered. We take smart risks to stay ahead of the competition. We work proactively with agility, using quality data to develop solutions that create value.

We are excellent operators

Productive. Collaborative. Accountable. No matter our role, we identify problems, take ownership and always bring solutions. We are both proactive and responsive to drive continuous improvement and deliver results. We support our frontline, the faces of PPG to our customers.

We compete to win

Future-focused. Driven. Ambitious. We are passionate about growing our business and winning with our customers. We deliver results, embrace new technologies and leverage agility and speed as strengths.

We are PPG proud

Strong. United. Passionate. We work safely, act with integrity and value our diverse perspectives. We celebrate achievements and take pride in the positive impact we create together to protect and beautify the world.

At PPG we use AI in the hiring process to make the process more efficient. AI tools do not make hiring decisions. You can learn more by going to https://careers.ppg.com/us/en/candidate-resources.

PPG provides equal opportunity to all candidates and employees. We offer an opportunity to grow and develop your career in an environment that provides a fulfilling workplace for employees, creates an environment for continuous learning, and embraces the ideas and diversity of others. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, pregnancy, race, color, creed, religion, national origin, age, disability status, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.

If you need an adjustment due to a disability, please email [e-mail].

PPG pay ranges and benefits can vary by location which allows us to compensate employees competitively in different geographic markets. PPG considers several factors in making compensation decisions including, but not limited to, skill sets, experience and training, qualifications and education, licensure and certifications, and other organizational needs. Other incentives may apply.

Our employee benefits programs are designed to support the health and well-being of our employees. Any insurance coverages and benefits will be in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable plans and associated governing plan documents. Benefits will be discussed with you by your recruiter during the hiring process.

PPG values your feedback on our recruiting process. We encourage you to visit Glassdoor.com and provide feedback on the process, so that we can do better today than yesterday.