Portfolio and Project Manager - Performance Coatings Innovation

Lubrizol Corporation•Cleveland Heights, OH

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

As a Portfolio and Project Manager for Lubrizol's Performance Coatings Group, you will lead high-impact innovation projects from concept to commercialization, focusing on advancing sustainable solutions. This role involves collaborating with global, cross-functional teams in a fast-paced, matrixed environment to shape strategy, define value, and manage risk. You will make critical decisions, drive alignment, and transform complex ideas into commercially successful solutions that deliver measurable business results and long-term growth.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry or a related technical discipline.
5+ years of experience in project/portfolio management within R&D, innovation, or product development environments
5+ years of experience leading or operating within a global, matrixed organization, collaborating across cross-functional and geographically dispersed teams.
Strong leadership, organizational, and communication skills, with the ability to deliver clear, effective presentations.
Change management mindset with the ability to bring clarity to ambiguity.
Financial acumen and portfolio investment management skills
Proven ability to influence and align stakeholders at all levels, without direct authority.
Knowledge and practical application of project management principles and methodologies.

Nice To Haves

Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is preferred but not required.
Experience or academic focus in coatings, polymers, or specialty materials applications.

Responsibilities

Define and manage the R&D innovation portfolio roadmap aligned with corporate strategy and growth priorities.
Establish portfolio governance frameworks including prioritization, stage-gate processes, and investment decision criteria.
Evaluate, select, and balance projects based on value, risk, resources, and strategic fit.
Continuously monitor portfolio performance using KPIs and adjust priorities as needed.
Lead end-to-end project management of innovation initiatives (concept through commercialization).
Ensure projects adhere to timelines, budgets, quality standards, and scope.
Apply structured methodologies (Agile, Stage-Gate, Hybrid) tailored to innovation environments.
Proactively identify risks and implement mitigation strategies.
Partner with R&D, Product, Engineering, and Business stakeholders to incubate and accelerate new ideas.
Support ideation, feasibility analysis, prototyping, and scaling of innovations.
Foster a culture of experimentation and continuous improvement.
Act as the central point of coordination between R&D, Marketing, Manufacturing, Finance, and external partners.
Communicate portfolio health, project status, and strategic insights to senior leadership through monthly innovation reviews.
Facilitate decision-making through quarterly portfolio reviews with executives.
Manage portfolio budgets, investment planning, and ROI tracking.
Optimize resource allocation across projects (people, capital, technology).
Develop business cases and track value realization for innovation initiatives.
Establish best practices for project and portfolio management.
Be a change agent to drive best practices and discipline through influence in a matrixed organization.