Head of Applied Research & Technology Market Segment Decorative Coatings - AMR

Evonik•Allentown, PA

About The Position

The Head of Applied Research & Technology for the Decorative Coatings market segment leads market-oriented innovation and application technology activities across the Americas. The role is responsible for the regional ART team, innovation portfolio, technical customer support, and coordination of ART resources across the region. It works closely with commercial and technical teams to identify customer opportunities, translate market needs into projects, and support execution of the Decorative Coatings and Business Line Coating Additives strategy. The position leads and develops the regional ART team, manages its budget and resource allocation, and oversees the operation and collaboration of regional laboratories. It provides high-level technical support to customers and distribution partners, advances technical knowledge and application expertise, and represents Decorative Coatings at technical and customer events. The role also maintains responsibility for applicable laboratory safety and compliance requirements.

Requirements

Master's degree or PhD in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related technical field.
Strong technical knowledge of coatings applications and application technology.
Experience working directly with customers, including visits, technical discussions, and identifying technical or business needs.
Experience translating customer and market needs into innovation projects, technical priorities, or development opportunities.
Strong project management skills and ability to manage multiple technical, customer, and innovation activities.
Strong leadership skills, including the ability to motivate, develop, and provide direction to a technical team.
Sufficient technical experience and credibility to serve as a resource for experienced technical colleagues and team members.
Strong communication and presentation skills for internal and external technical audiences.
Ability to work effectively across functions, regions, market segments, and multicultural teams.
Willingness to travel a minimum of approximately 25%, with additional travel possible based on customer and business needs.

Nice To Haves

A minimum of 10 years of relevant experience in the coatings industry is highly preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead market-oriented innovation and Applied Research & Technology activities for Decorative Coatings across the Americas.
Lead and develop the regional ART team, including career development, succession planning, technical capability building, and resource coordination.
Manage the regional ART budget and support effective resource allocation across technical managers, team members, and regional laboratories.
Oversee the efficient networking and operation of regional laboratories, including collaboration across market segments.
Develop and manage the regional Decorative Coatings innovation portfolio while advancing product knowledge, technical competence, and application expertise.
Provide high-level technical support to key accounts, coordinated accounts, regional champions, essential local accounts, and distribution partners.
Identify and realize customer projects, Technical Service Requests, and new opportunities in partnership with commercial teams.
Support execution of the Business Line Coating Additives and Decorative Coatings strategy across the Americas.
Maintain responsibility for applicable laboratory safety and compliance requirements for regional Decorative Coatings ART activities.
Represent Decorative Coatings at conferences, exhibitions, seminars, trainings, and other technical or customer events, and promote regional and international knowledge sharing.