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Technical Service Director

Sherwin-Williams · Chicago, ILtoday

Lead the US/Canada Technical Service organization for the General Industrial coatings division, building team capability and customer value.

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Worth knowing

Why it is interesting. Director seat on the USCA GI leadership team, shaping technical service strategy and the training academy

Might not be for you. Largely management and commercial, with little hands-on materials or lab work

Customer-facingManages peopleLarge team Senior hires only

Adjacent materials roleLeads Technical Service for General Industrial coatings; prefers experience in coatings application, metal substrate pre-treatment, BS in Science/Engineering/Metallurgical

H-1B filings

Sherwin-Williams filed 4 H-1B labor applications for scientist and engineer roles from Jan to Dec 2025.

Most common titles: R&D Technical Manager, Senior Coil Coatings Chemist, Process Engineer. Median filed pay: $97K a year.

From U.S. Department of Labor disclosure data. A filing is a record of past hiring, not a promise about this role, so confirm sponsorship with the employer. Titles and filed pay ·Every employer's filings

Seniority
Director+
Work
On-site
Type
Full-time
Degree
High school
Experience
5+ yrs
Industry
Coatings
Role
Management / Director
Materials
coatings540 rolesmetal substrate pre-treatment
Benefits
equity/stock

Role details

The Technical Services Director is a strategic leadership role responsible for leading, developing, and advancing the Technical Service organization across the United States and Canada within the General Industrial (GI) Division. This position serves as a key member of the USCA GI Leadership Team and partners closely with customers, sales, marketing, operations, R&D, and other cross-functional stakeholders to deliver technical expertise, drive innovation, strengthen customer relationships, and support profitable business growth.

The Director provides overall leadership for the Technical Service function, ensuring alignment with the division's strategic objectives, financial targets, and customer commitments.

Key responsibilities

include developing and executing the technical service value proposition, building organizational capability, optimizing resource utilization, leading training and certification programs, and fostering strong partnerships with industry organizations and key stakeholders. In addition to driving technical excellence and customer-focused solutions, the Director is responsible for talent development, succession planning, organizational effectiveness, and the continued growth of a high-performing technical team. This role also oversees departmental budgeting and resource planning to ensure efficient operations and sustainable growth.

The successful candidate will bring a proven track record of leadership in commercial, technical, or technical management roles, along with the ability to influence across functions, develop strategic initiatives, and lead teams in a dynamic and results-oriented environment. As a senior leader within the organization, this individual may also collaborate with and provide consultation to General Industrial teams and leaders across global regions to share best practices and support enterprise-wide initiatives.

Responsibilities

Value Proposition Development With sales, quantifies why our customers value our technical service organization – to include case studies with an eye toward inclusion in the sales tool kit. With sales, enhances the technical service tool kit around value surveys (versus line surveys) to improve the data collection associated with value proposition development by the sales organization. With sales, leads Continuous Improvement and annual cost savings efforts with a focus toward delivering the lowest total applied cost to our customers.

Galvanizes the team on the mantra – “we drive the lowest cost TO paint, not the lowest cost OF paint.” Organizational Development With HR, creates and implements a Technical Service Leadership Development Program. With HR, develops and implements a Technical Service organizational structure supporting dimensions that include: Career path development Specialty development (eg. Technology or Application specialties) Develops and implements key Technical Service metrics that can be used to measure success (eg. The equivalent of sales and margin in the sales organization).

Working with regional sales leadership, recruits, hires, trains, and evaluates technical service management performance, and initiates promotions, transfers, and performance management as needed. Working with the research and development laboratory, collaborates to ensure effectively translation of product development to customer application success. Working with IT, develops productivity tools (eg. AI) allowing Technical Service Representatives to maximize the time they spend on customer related activities.

Training and Certification Process With Sales Excellence, develops and implements training / certification curriculum and process that supports key skill and capability growth across the experience levels in the group. With PCG, develops and optimizes the GI Tech Service Academy in the Learn platform. Industry Engagement With Design Engineering, partners with key industry partners in the equipment, integration, and system design firms in order to: Understand the “state of the art” in application equipment, and how to translate those products along with SW products to value added solutions for our customers.

Develops commercial relationships as a means to sharing leads and prospects inside the industry. Minimum Requirements:

Must have

a High School or GED equivalent Must have five (5) years of technical or commercial manager experience Preferred Qualifications: Have an Associate or Trade degree in Engineering or Field Technician areas Have a Bachelor’s degree in Science, Engineering or Metallurgical fields Have experience in one or more of the following areas: Applications Engineering, Metal substrate Pre-Treatment or Coatings Application Have demonstrated success in previous “change management” efforts.

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Common questions

Does Sherwin-Williams sponsor H-1B visas?

Sherwin-Williams has filed H-1B petitions with the US Department of Labor in past years, but this specific posting does not explicitly mention sponsorship for the Technical Service Director role. Confirm with the employer before applying if visa support is required.

Where is the Technical Service Director role at Sherwin-Williams based?

This role is based in Chicago, IL.

What degree is required for the Technical Service Director role at Sherwin-Williams?

This role requires a High school.

How many years of experience does this Technical Service Director role require?

The posting calls for at least 5 years of relevant experience.

What polymers or materials does this Technical Service Director role work with?

coatings, metal substrate pre-treatment.