R&D- Group Leader

The Sherwin-Williams Company; Brecksville (OH); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

The Sherwin-Williams Company in Brecksville, Ohio seeks an Engineering Leader to guide a portion of the Architectural Commercialization Engineering team, driving New Product Development, Maintenance of Business, 6-sigma, and quality investigations.

On-site role with 20% travel, collaborating with cross-functional groups to align projects with business goals, manage resources, and ensure safety, quality, and timely delivery.

Qualifications

• Must have a bachelor’s degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) field.
• At least 1 year of supervisory or project management experience in R&D.
• At least 3 years of relevant experience within R&D and with coatings development (formulation, processing, testing).
• Experience in technical and professional mentorship and leading large project teams.

Responsibilities

• Define and communicate goals, roles, and performance expectations for CE teams.
• Lead, develop, and coach engineers and technicians to execute commercialization activities.
• Manage CE support for NPD, MOB, and architectural coatings projects with timely delivery.
• Drive resource allocation to meet timelines, quality requirements, and business goals.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives to enhance development speed, efficiency, and product quality.
• Partner with leadership to coordinate project support and implement process improvements.
• Foster safety, accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning across teams.
• Monitor KPIs and identify opportunities to improve productivity and customer satisfaction.

Skills

Supervisory experience

Project management

Team leadership

R&D experience

Education

Bachelor's degree in STEM

Job description

This position will be responsible for leading and managing a portion of the Architectural Commercialization Engineering (CE) team. This position is accountable for contributing to and/or leading Engineering support for New Product Development, Maintenance of Business, Continuous Process Improvement, 6-sigma, and Quality Investigation projects.

This job duties include contact with other employees and access to confidential and proprietary information and/or other items of value, and such access may be supervised or unsupervised. The Company therefore has determined that a review of criminal history is necessary to protect the business and its operations and reputation and is necessary to protect the safety of the Company's staff, employees, and business relationships.

This role is not remote/hybrid. This role will report to Sherwin-Williams Morikis Global Technology Center located at 6745 Miller Road, Brecksville, OH 44141.

20% Travel

Key responsibilities with limited to moderate supervision and input:

• Define and communicate clear goals, roles, responsibilities, and performance expectations for members of the GSC Architectural Commercialization Engineering and Engineering Lab teams.
• Lead, develop, and coach a team of engineers and technicians, ensuring strong technical expertise and effective execution of commercialization engineering activities.
• Manage Commercialization Engineering support for Architectural Paint, Specialty New Product Development (NPD), and Maintenance of Business (MOB) projects, ensuring successful project delivery aligned with business objectives.
• Drive the allocation and prioritization of team resources to support project timelines, quality requirements, and organizational goals.
• Lead and/or support Continuous Improvement initiatives within the GSC Commercialization process to enhance development speed, operational efficiency, and overall product quality.
• Partner closely with Commercialization Engineering leaders and cross-functional stakeholders to coordinate project support, resolve technical and operational challenges, and implement process improvements.
• Foster a culture of safety, accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning across engineering and laboratory teams.
• Monitor key performance indicators and team effectiveness, identifying opportunities to improve productivity, quality, and customer satisfaction.

1. Leadership

• Provide leadership and oversight for Architectural Commercialization Engineering (CE) project activities, ensuring risks and issues are identified early, addressed proactively, and fully resolved prior to implementation.
• Align team priorities, resources, and execution with departmental and organizational strategic objectives to support Commercialization Engineering and business goals.
• Select and develop high-performing employees while fostering an open, collaborative, and accountable team environment that promotes engagement and productivity.
• Champion a culture of diversity, inclusion, respect, and teamwork, creating an environment where all employees can contribute and succeed.
• Leverage data, technical expertise, and effective influencing skills to drive sound decisions, gain stakeholder alignment, and achieve desired business outcomes.
• Promote and model the use of Design for Six Sigma (DFSS), data science, scientific thinking, and structured problem-solving methodologies across R&D and commercialization activities.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and learning while encouraging the adoption of best practices and new capabilities within the team.
• Ensure a strong commitment to safety, quality, compliance, and operational excellence in all team activities.

2. Business Management

• Effectively manage team workload, priorities, and resources to ensure projects are executed efficiently, meet established objectives, and are delivered on schedule.
• Drive accountability within the team for developing project plans and meeting key milestones and deadlines that support business needs and commercialization objectives.
• Partner with Commercialization Engineering leadership to prioritize project portfolios, balance resource allocation, and optimize team capacity to meet changing business demands.
• Identify, assess, and communicate project risks, issues, and business impacts in a timely manner; develop and recommend effective solutions and mitigation plans with limited to moderate guidance.
• Monitor project progress and resource utilization, making data-driven adjustments to ensure successful project execution and achievement of quality, cost, and timing targets.
• Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders to align project priorities, resolve barriers to execution, and support delivery of business objectives.
• Drive disciplined project management practices and continuous improvement initiatives to enhance operational efficiency, predictability, and overall business performance.

3. Employee and Team Development

• Develop and strengthen team capabilities by actively coaching employees and leveraging Individual Development Plans (IDPs) to support professional growth, technical expertise, and career progression.
• Effectively utilize delegation, mentoring, and stretch assignments to build technical depth, leadership skills, and succession readiness within the team.
• Assess resource needs and recommend staffing, training, tools, and other investments required to meet current and future business objectives.
• Foster an environment of open communication, collaboration, and knowledge sharing that promotes employee engagement, innovation, and continuous learning.
• Provide regular performance feedback, coaching, and recognition to support employee development and drive high performance.
• Conduct performance evaluations and manage performance concerns in a timely and constructive manner, developing improvement plans and taking appropriate corrective actions with limited to moderate guidance.

4. Communication

• Establish and maintain effective communication and collaboration across R&D, Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, and other functional teams to support successful project execution and business objectives.
• Provide clear, concise, and timely written and verbal communications regarding project status, risks, priorities, and outcomes to stakeholders, leadership, and team members.
• Develop the team's technical and business communication skills through coaching, delegation, mentoring, and stretch assignments that increase visibility and influence across the organization.
• Ensure project goals, expectations, priorities, and deliverables are clearly communicated and understood, fostering alignment, accountability, and effective execution.

5. Safety and Quality

• Promote and ensure compliance with all safety, housekeeping, ISO, and company standards.
• Foster a strong safety culture through training, proactive risk identification, and effective corrective actions.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives that enhance commercialization processes, balancing quality, efficiency, and speed to market.
• Drive the use of data-based problem solving and root cause analysis to improve safety, quality, and operational performance.

Minimum Requirements

• Must be legally authorized to work in the country for which you are applying for employment (without now or in the future needing sponsorship for employment work visa and/or permanent residence status)
• Must be at least 18 years of age
• Must have a bachelor's degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (\"STEM\") field
• Must have at least 1 year of supervisory or project management experience in R&D
• Must have at least 3 years of relevant experience within R&D and with coatings development (formulation, processing, testing)
• Experience in technical and professional mentorship
• Experience in project team leadership

Preferred Qualifications

• BS/BA in Engineering
• Experience managing R&D employees
• Experience with Architectural, Building Materials, Aerosol and/or Woodcare coating products
• Experience in Commercialization role or Commercialization Engineering
• Experience leading large project teams, and/or complex projects from concept through launch
• Experience working with Operations, Procurement, and/or Sourcing to support new product launches or resolve quality issues
• Design for Six Sigma Certified or Trained