R&D- Technical Manager

Sherwin-Williams; Greensboro (NC); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Sherwin-Williams is seeking a Technical Manager in the Industrial Wood Laboratory to lead development and commercialization for OEM Industrial Wood products. You will coordinate with Sales, Marketing and other functions while upholding data security and confidentiality.

The role emphasizes leadership, collaboration, and delivering innovative coating solutions across multiple projects with tight timelines. Travel up to 20% is expected.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM).
• 8+ years coating formulation and applications experience.
• 5+ years of managing direct reports and developing people.
• Customer-facing interaction experience.
• Experience with successful product development and launch.

Responsibilities

• Lead portfolio of technical programs to support OEM Industrial Wood products.
• Drive customer-focused innovation and execution excellence.
• Translate strategy into actionable deliverables and ensure cross-functional alignment.
• Collaborate with sales, marketing and operations to identify trends and opportunities.
• Oversee multiple projects with high internal demand and short timelines.

Skills

Customer-facing experience

Product development & launch

Team leadership

Education

STEM degree

Business-related degree (preferred)

Tools

Lean Green Belt

Kepner-Tregoe

Job description

Job Description

The Industrial Wood Laboratory is seeking a Technical Manager to lead the development and commercialization efforts for new and existing products designed for OEM Industrial Wood customers. This individual will work closely with Industrial Wood Sales and Marketing to identify the needs and timelines for product development projects and will coordinate project activities with all the pertinent functions within Sherwin-Williams.

Job Description

The Industrial Wood Laboratory is seeking a Technical Manager to lead the development and commercialization efforts for new and existing products designed for OEM Industrial Wood customers. This individual will work closely with Industrial Wood Sales and Marketing to identify the needs and timelines for product development projects and will coordinate project activities with all the pertinent functions within Sherwin-Williams. 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.

20% Travel

Responsibilities

Technology Leadership

• It is fully accountable for the portfolio of technical programs and projects specifically in support of large OEM Industrial Wood Products.
• Leads and implements a customer-centric culture for innovative solutions, execution excellence, and continuous improvement.
• Translates the technology strategy and objectives into tactical operational deliverables and holds the technical team accountable for implementing and enforcing goals and objectives.
• Collaborates with businesses and cross functional leaders to anticipate, identify, and assess emerging industry trends, business opportunities, and potential value creation and optimization generated from innovation and continuous improvement.
• Drives customer focus and technical relationship plans for key OEM manufacturers, internal customers and takes direct responsibility for customer satisfaction and business retention.
• Can oversee high-quality execution of multiple projects under intense demand for short-term solutions.

Talent Development

• Coaches and develops the team and defines career growth paths. Identifies skill gaps and creates targeted developmental plants. Provides direct, timely feedback and addresses performance issues by implementing actionable developmental plans.
• Enables, leads by example, and influences a culture of innovation and technical excellence that leverages deep customer and market insights, technologies, and methods.
• Empowers, models desired behavior, and influences a culture of belonging and engagement along with a positive and collaborative work environment.
• Identifies the critical skills and knowledge required for successful job performance; champions the recognition of the best contributors; identifies/removes barriers to performance.
• Overall accountability for ensuring timely and appropriate performance communication is delivered and is aligned with individual and business performance success factors.
• Responsible for resource output optimization across work type and time horizon for the segment.
• Models calm and steadfast leadership to the team during times of uncertainty and quickly changing priorities; supports and guides the team through challenging technical projects under intense pressure and timing constraints.

Qualifications

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
• 8 years of experience in coating formulation and applications
• 5 years of experience in managing/supervising direct report(s) experience in people development
• Customer-facing interaction experience
• Experience with successful product development and launch

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business related field
• Knowledge or experience in industrial paint formulations and processing
• DFFS/Lean Green Belt and/or Kepner‑Tregoe expertise
• Formulation expertise
• Experience of industrial applications (e.g., curtain coating, DRC, vacuum coating)
• Wood composite (e.g., fiber cement, OSB) knowledge in manufacturing and/or coating

Successful candidate will be required to sign an Employee Restrictive Covenant Agreement where permitted by law.

About Us

At Sherwin‑Williams, our purpose is to inspire and improve the world by coloring and protecting what matters. Our paints, coatings and innovative solutions make the places and spaces in our world brighter and stronger. Your skills, talent and passion make it possible to live this purpose, and for customers and our business to achieve great results. Sherwin‑Williams is a place that takes its stability, growth and momentum and translates it to possibility for our people. Our people are behind the strength of our success, and we invest and support you in:

• Life ... with rewards, benefits and the flexibility to enhance your health and well-being
• Career ... with opportunities to learn, develop new skills and grow your contribution
• Connection ... with an inclusive team and commitment to our own and broader communities

It’s all here for you ... let’s Create Your Possible.

At Sherwin‑Williams, part of our mission is to help our employees and their families live healthier, save smarter and feel better. This starts with a wide range of world‑class benefits designed for you. From retirement to health care, from total well‑being to your daily commute—it matters to us.

A general description of benefits offered can be found at http://www.myswbenefits.com/.

Compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case and will impact where actual compensation may fall within the stated wage range. The wage range listed for this role takes into account the wide range of factors considered in making compensation decisions including skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs. The disclosed range estimate has not been adjusted for the applicable geographic differential associated with the location at which the position may be filled. The wage range, other compensation, and benefits information listed is accurate as of the date of this posting. The Company reserves the right to modify this information at any time, with or without notice, subject to applicable law.

Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws including with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act where applicable.

Sherwin‑Williams is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, age, pregnancy, genetic information, creed, marital status or any other consideration prohibited by law or by contract.

As a VEVRAA Federal Contractor, Sherwin‑Williams requests state and local employment services delivery systems to provide priority referral of Protected Veterans.

Please be aware, Sherwin‑Williams recruiting team members will never request a candidate to provide a payment, ask for financial information, or sensitive personal information like national identification numbers, date of birth, or bank account numbers during the application process.