R&D- Technical Manager (Liquid Coatings)

The Sherwin-Williams Company; Minneapolis (MN); On-site; USD 140,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

The Sherwin-Williams Company in Minneapolis is seeking a senior leader to drive development, commercialization, and optimization of liquid industrial coatings for General Finishes, Building Products and Energy segments. You will guide solvent- and water-borne systems, scale-up processes, and troubleshoot performance with cross-functional teams.

You will mentor a lab organization, manage a diverse portfolio, and collaborate with Sales, Marketing and Product Management to win new business while

Qualifications

• Bachelor's of Science Degree including 2 semesters General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the US.
• Minimum 10 years industry experience in formulated coatings, plastics or inks and polymer development or materials science and IP management
• Laboratory management of teams greater than 6 people
• Strong strategic perspective and ability to deal with complex requirements and set priorities
• Structured, data-based rational thinker and strong execution skills.
• Strong market knowledge, customer experience, and demonstrated relationships with Sales and Marketing groups.
• Knowledge of related Regional markets, product stewardship, and regulatory requirements.
• Excellent leadership, organizational and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent project management and problem-solving skills.
• English Speaking, strong communication skills, both orally and written.
• Technical understanding and knowledge in industrial coatings chemistry
• Coatings formulation skills
• Coatings application testing
• General computer skills - Word, Excel, PowerPoint, emails

Responsibilities

• Lead the development, commercialization, maintenance, and optimization of liquid industrial coating products and platforms for market segments.
• Provide technical direction for solvent-borne and water-borne coating formation, testing, and scale-up.
• Collaborate with Sales, Marketing and Product Management to identify customer and market needs and secure new business.
• Provide technical leadership in customer-facing activities, including visits, presentations, and trials.
• Develop key customer and supplier relationships to support growth.
• Support raw material consolidation and cost-saving initiatives with cross-functional teams.
• Lead a culture of innovative solutions, execution excellence, and continuous improvement.
• Oversee people development using performance management and succession planning.
• Hold the technical team accountable for product development, customer support, portfolio management, and safety.
• Strengthen lab team through mentoring, training, and talent acquisition.
• Collaborate in cross-functional teams to increase production efficiency and product quality.
• Collect and analyze data on project metrics to identify improvements.
• Determine and obtain capital resources to support business goals.

Skills

Coatings chemistry

Leadership

Strategic planning

Project management

Cross-functional

Data analysis

Communication

Product development

Regulatory knowledge

Education

B.S. in Chemistry

Tools

JMP

Minitab

Microsoft Office

Job description

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development, commercialization, maintenance, and optimization of liquid industrial coating products and platforms for the General Finishes, Building Products and Energy market segments.

• Provide technical direction for solvent-borne and water-borne coating formation, application, testing, manufacturing scale-up, product performance and troubleshooting.

• Work collaboratively with Sales, Marketing and Product Management to identify and prioritize customer and market needs, support and secure new business as well as maintain the existing customer base.

• Provide technical leadership in customer-facing activities, including customer visits, technical presentations, plant or line trials and communication of technical recommendations.

• Develop key customer and supplier relationships to support existing business and new business growth.

• Partner with Product Management, Purchasing, and PCG Raw Materials team to support raw material consolidation and cost saving initiatives.

• Develop key customer and supplier relationships to support existing business and new business growth.

• Leads a workplace culture for innovative solutions, execution excellence, and continuous improvement in a collaborative environment.

• Oversee people development using performance management, succession planning, and individual development planning tools.

• Holds the technical team accountable for achieving product development, customer support, portfolio management, project execution, safety and business goals.

• Builds and strengthens General Industrial lab team through mentoring, training, talent acquisition, and attrition.

• Collaborate in cross-functional teams, including quality control, production, engineering, and product management to increase production efficiency, reduce cost, and improve product quality.

• Collect and analyze data on project metrics, to identify areas for improvement.

• Determine and obtain capital resources needed to support business goals.

Required Qualifications

1. Bachelor's of Science Degree including 2 semesters each of General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry

2. Must be legally authorized to work in the US.

3. Minimum 10 years industry experience in the development of formulated coatings, plastics or inks products and polymer development or materials science and intellectual property management

4. Laboratory management of teams greater than 6 people

5. Strong strategic perspective and ability to deal with complex requirements and set priorities

6. Structured, data-based rational thinker and strong execution skills.

7. Strong market knowledge, customer experience, and demonstrated relationships with Sales and Marketing groups.

8. Knowledge of related Regional markets, product stewardship, and regulatory requirements.

9. Excellent leadership, organizational and interpersonal skills.

10. Excellent project management and problem-solving skills.

11. English Speaking, strong communication skills, both orally and written.

12. Technical understanding and knowledge in industrial coatings chemistry

13. Coatings formulation skills

14. Coatings application testing

15. General computer skills - Word, Excel, PowerPoint, emails

Preferred Qualifications

1. Six Sigma practical knowledge and experiences desired.

2. Design of Experiments (DOE)

3. Math and Statistic Software - JMP or Minitab

4. IP Management and Patenting

5. Polymer resin experiences

6. Travel Requirements: Domestic and some International Travel estimated at 25%.

   This position is not eligible for sponsorship for work authorization now or in the future, including conversion to H-1B visa.
   This position is also eligible for bonus based on performance and subject to the terms of the Company's applicable plans.