Director, R&D & Advanced Technologies

Apogee • Faribault, MN

5d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Director, R&D & Advanced Technologies is a working technical leader responsible for the Faribault R&D organization and development of advanced surface technologies. The position requires deep expertise in PVD sputtering and practical experience with PECVD or related plasma processes. Approximately 50–60% of the role is hands-on, personally leading high-priority development programs, designing and conducting experiments, optimizing processes, resolving complex technical problems, and scaling technologies into manufacturing. The remainder involves setting R&D priorities, managing the technology portfolio, developing technical talent, and aligning resources with customer, business, and manufacturing needs. The Director is expected to deliver technical outcomes personally and to work effectively in the laboratory, manufacturing environment, and leadership setting.

The role leads the Faribault R&D organization and its development portfolio, balancing longer-term technology opportunities with near-term commercial priorities. It translates customer and market needs into technical requirements, development programs, and roadmaps; partners across Operations, Engineering, Quality, Sales, Marketing, and Technical Service to commercialize products and processes; and engages strategic customers on complex technical challenges. The Director also builds external relationships, develops technical talent and organizational capabilities, manages R&D operating and capital budgets, and promotes safety, disciplined experimentation, knowledge management, and continuous improvement.

The position requires a bachelor's degree in a relevant technical discipline and hands-on experience developing, optimizing, and scaling PVD-sputtered thin-film coatings in a production-oriented environment. Practical PECVD or plasma experience is also required. The role is based on site four days each week, with regular interaction with individuals on the plant floor near moving mechanical parts. Office noise is generally moderate; production-area noise is usually loud.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Hands-on experience developing, optimizing, and scaling PVD-sputtered thin-film coatings in a production-oriented environment, including coating-stack design, deposition-process development, process characterization, and troubleshooting coating-performance challenges.
• Practical PECVD or plasma experience.
• Demonstrated expertise in PVD sputtering technology and processes.
• Demonstrated expertise with PECVD and/or plasma-based deposition and surface-treatment processes.
• Ability to personally design, execute, analyze, and interpret technical experiments.
• Experience developing and optimizing coating architectures and deposition processes.
• Capability in technology development, process optimization, troubleshooting, and manufacturing scale-up.
• Knowledge of experimental design, root-cause analysis, technical data analysis, and structured problem-solving.
• Experience transitioning technologies from a laboratory or development environment into manufacturing.
• Experience personally leading complex technology-development projects from experimentation through scale-up or implementation.
• Strategic application of artificial intelligence (AI) tools and technologies to drive business outcomes, enhance decision-making, and improve operational efficiency.
• Ability to operate effectively as both a technical expert and organizational leader.
• Strong technical judgment, disciplined decision-making, and ability to balance hands-on execution with leadership of multiple development priorities.
• Strong cross-functional leadership and influence, and ability to communicate complex technical concepts to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Strong business acumen and ability to connect technical investments to customer and business needs.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced technical degree.
• Previous leadership of technical professionals.
• Experience operating in a manufacturing or commercially oriented R&D organization.
• Wet-chemistry coating formulation and application experience.
• Thin-film characterization and surface-analysis experience.
• Experience with multiple coating and deposition technologies.
• Experience in a manufacturing environment where new technologies must transition from development into scalable production.

Responsibilities

• Personally lead one or two priority advanced-technology programs from experimentation through manufacturing implementation.
• Design and execute experiments, develop coating architectures, analyze data, optimize processes, and solve complex technical problems.
• Apply expertise in PVD sputtering, PECVD/plasma processes, thin films, and advanced surface technologies.
• Lead process scale-up, validation, root-cause analysis, and transfer of new technologies into manufacturing.
• Maintain a regular presence in the laboratory and manufacturing environment.
• Lead the Faribault R&D organization and set priorities aligned with business growth, customer needs, and manufacturing requirements.
• Manage the development portfolio, balancing long-term technology opportunities with near-term commercial priorities.
• Establish project objectives, milestones, resource requirements, technical risks, and success criteria.
• Provide senior leadership with recommendations on technology opportunities, investments, risks, and development priorities.
• Focus resources on initiatives with the greatest strategic and economic value.
• Translate customer and market needs into technical requirements, development programs, and technology roadmaps.
• Partner with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Sales, Marketing, and Technical Service to commercialize new products and processes.
• Engage strategic customers to address complex technical challenges and identify development opportunities.
• Build external relationships with suppliers, universities, research organizations, and technology partners.
• Ensure new technologies meet performance, manufacturability, quality, cost, and customer-value requirements.
• Lead, coach, and develop scientists, chemists, engineers, and technicians.
• Build organizational capability in coating, deposition, plasma, materials, analytical, and process-development disciplines.
• Strengthen experimental design, structured problem-solving, technical documentation, and knowledge sharing.
• Identify capability gaps and address them through employee development, recruiting, or external partnerships.
• Foster technical rigor, accountability, collaboration, learning, and practical innovation.
• Manage R&D operating and capital budgets and prioritize resources based on strategic and business impact.
• Establish measurable objectives for development milestones, scale-up, manufacturing transfer, commercialization readiness, cycle time, and technical performance.
• Champion safety, disciplined experimentation, knowledge management, and continuous improvement.
• Improve R&D productivity while reducing technical risk, waste, process variation, and development cycle time.

Benefits

• Competitive benefits package for employees and dependents, including medical, dental, vision, life, and disability coverage.
• Incentive plans.
• 401(k) with employer contribution and match.
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan with employer match.
• Paid time off, including vacation and sick time.
• Paid holidays.
• Tuition reimbursement program.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• Wellness program.
• Training and career progression.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director