R&D Technical Director

Role details

Job Description

The primary result expected from the R&D Technical Director will be to oversee an entire R&D group and manage discovery, innovation, scale up, and commercialization of existing and new cost effective quality technology by planning, directing, coordinating, and/or budgeting activities concerned with the design and completion of research and development projects, managing staff activities and results to quickly respond to market opportunities, and defending the corporation against competitive threats.

• Plan laboratory experiments to confirm feasibility of processes and techniques used in the production of materials having unique characteristics.
• Confer with customers to determine how to tailor materials to their needs.
• Conduct research on the structures and properties of materials, such as adhesives, coatings, and polymers, to obtain information that could be used to develop new products or enhance existing ones.
• Prepare reports of materials study findings for the use of other research & development associates and requestors.
• Devise testing methods to evaluate the effects of various conditions on particular coatings.
• Determine ways to strengthen or combine materials or develop new materials with new or specific properties for use in a variety of products and applications.
• Test individual parts and products to ensure that manufacturer and governmental quality and safety standards are met.
• Assign staff to projects, given shifting priorities, and determine technologies and procedures to research and present to business group.

Qualifications

• M.S. or equivalent science degree in Chemistry, must possess a strong knowledge of organic chemistry, or related scientific field. Preference shown to expertise in aerosols, coatings and to a lesser degree cleaners.
• 10 years technical experience in product development in specific area of expertise, strong understanding of manufacturing
• 5 years of technical supervisory or management experience
• 3 years successful working experience with marketing group
• Expertise in coatings for consumer and industrial markets with a strong knowledge of both water borne and solvent borne chemistry.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing, quality assurance, scale up procedures, applications, raw materials purchasing, regulatory matters and must be computer literate.

From big benefits to small, we take care of our associates! After 30 days of employment, you will be eligible for a benefits package that includes medical, dental, life, disability and business travel insurance, flexible spending accounts, EAP, stock purchases and vacation/sick days/parental leave.

We also offer a 401(k) plan after three months of employment. Associates are vested in the RPM Pension plan after completing five years of service. Rust-Oleum offers (9.5) paid holidays and two floating holidays per year. You are also eligible to earn three weeks of vacation on an annualized basis.

*Rust-Oleum is an equal opportunity employer. Employment selection and related decisions are made without regard to sex, race, age, disability, religion, national origin, color, or any other protected class.*