Senior Color Scientist / Color Lab Supervisor

Role details

The Color Technology Laboratory Supervisor / Senior Color Formulation Scientist is responsible for leading the development, formulation, and commercialization of custom color solutions for thermoplastic compounds across multiple end markets. This role combines hands-on color formulation expertise with laboratory leadership, customer support, project management, and team supervision responsibilities.

The successful candidate will oversee color matching activities, pigment and additive selection, color quality systems, laboratory operations, and continuous improvement initiatives while partnering closely with Sales, Product Development, Manufacturing, Technical Service, and customers to deliver innovative color solutions that meet aesthetic, processing, regulatory, and performance requirements.

This position serves as the company's technical leader for color technology and supports strategic growth through product innovation, customer-facing technical engagement, and development of color formulation best practices.

Color Formulation & Product Development

• Develop and optimize color formulations for thermoplastic compounds including PVC, TPE, TPV, Polyolefins, Engineering Thermoplastics, and other specialty compounds.
• Create custom color matches from physical standards, Pantone references, customer samples, and digital color data.
• Select and evaluate pigments, dyes, effect pigments, color concentrates, and additives to meet customer specifications.
• Troubleshoot color variation, appearance defects, and processing-related color issues.
• Support product development projects from concept through commercial production.
• Maintain formulation databases and color libraries while protecting proprietary formulation knowledge.
• Evaluate color stability, weatherability, UV resistance, thermal stability, and long-term performance characteristics.

Laboratory Leadership

• Supervise daily activities of Color Technicians, Laboratory Technicians, and Color Specialists. Direct reports on one shift.
• Establish laboratory priorities and allocate resources to meet business objectives and customer commitments.
• Develop laboratory procedures, testing protocols, and best practices.
• Monitor laboratory metrics including turnaround time, first-pass color match success rates, and project completion.
• Manage laboratory equipment maintenance, calibration, and capital equipment planning.
• Foster a safe, organized, and highly productive laboratory environment.

Technical & Customer Support

• Partner with Sales and Technical Service teams to support customer programs and business development initiatives.
• Serve as the primary technical resource for color-related customer inquiries and escalations.
• Participate in customer visits, vendor meetings, technical presentations, and troubleshooting activities.
• Translate customer requirements into practical color and material solutions.
• Support qualification and commercialization efforts for new products and strategic customer accounts.

Manufacturing Support

• Collaborate with manufacturing teams to scale formulations from laboratory to production.
• Investigate and resolve production color issues.
• Develop color control standards and manufacturing specifications.
• Support process optimization efforts related to color consistency and appearance.
• Ensure formulations are robust and transferable across manufacturing assets.

Quality & Continuous Improvement

• Establish color measurement standards using spectrophotometers and color management systems.
• Develop color acceptance criteria and quality control procedures.
• Analyze color performance data and identify improvement opportunities.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on laboratory efficiency and formulation effectiveness.
• Support ISO, quality, and regulatory compliance requirements.

Team Development

• Coach, mentor, and develop laboratory personnel.
• Conduct performance evaluations and establish development plans.
• Train employees on formulation practices, laboratory techniques, and color science principles.
• Build technical capability and succession strength within the color laboratory function.

Minimum Requirements

Education

• Bachelor's Degree in Chemistry, Polymer Science, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Color Science, or related technical discipline required.
• Master's Degree preferred.

Experience

• 7+ years of experience in color formulation, thermoplastics compounding, color concentrates, masterbatch, additives, or related polymer technologies.
• 2+ years of leadership, supervisory, or project leadership experience preferred.
• Proven experience developing commercial color formulations for thermoplastics.
• Experience supporting manufacturing operations and production scale-up activities