R&D- Group Leader Senior

Sherwin-Williams•Minneapolis, MN

About The Position

The Senior R&D Group Leader role is a Minneapolis-based leadership position responsible for managing a team of chemists, technicians, and group leaders to drive powder coatings innovation, Maintenance of Business initiatives, and new product development for global industrial markets. The role focuses on strategic project prioritization, resource allocation, cross-functional collaboration with Sales and Marketing, and applying advanced formulation, process, and continuous improvement methodologies. Key responsibilities include delivering technical solutions that meet customer needs, fostering a culture of safety, quality, and inclusion, developing team capabilities, and ensuring effective communication with stakeholders and senior leadership. The position requires a chemistry or engineering background, extensive coatings formulation experience, proven leadership ability, and competency in decision-making, partnership-building, innovation, and change leadership. Job duties include contact with other employees and access confidential and proprietary information and/or other items of value, and such access may be supervised or unsupervised. The Company therefore has determined that a review of criminal history is necessary to protect the business and its operations and reputation and is necessary to protect the safety of the Company’s staff, employees, and business relationships.

Requirements

Must be legally authorized to work in the country for which you are applying for employment (without now or in the future needing sponsorship for employment work visa and/or permanent residence status).
Bachelor’s degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering or Math field.
Must be at least 18 years of age.
Must have at least 3 years of project leadership/management experience
Must have at least 5 years of relevant experience with coatings formulation and performance testing.
At least 5 years of relevant industrial experience with broad exposure to multiple technologies in powder coating or liquid coating technologies.

Responsibilities

Leading, developing and managing a team of chemists, group leader(s), and technicians with technical and formulation expertise in powder Coatings.
Partnering with Marketing and Sales teams to identify articulated and unarticulated customer needs
Working with Sales, Marketing, and R&D leadership to prioritize projects and allocate resources to drive projects and products to market for Maintenance of Business and New Product Sales
Utilizing, coaching, and reinforcing formulation, process, LSS, continuous improvement, and DFSS tools during R&D activities
Align departmental activities to deliver on new business and MOB goals for the Company.
Support the transfer of knowledge and information throughout Sherwin-Williams.
Identify opportunities and build strategic internal and external relationships.
Select excellent employees and use a flexible style, along with an open environment, to build a cohesive and productive Team.
Coordinate individual and group efforts across functional boundaries, and function as a Technical liaison.
Uses personal influence and credibility to gain acceptance of ideas and plans.
Effectively manage time and resources to ensure that work is completed efficiently and on time.
Set and meet project deadlines through effective planning and execution.
Prioritize projects and resources, assess and communicate progress relative to goals.
Must be able to manage and monitor multiple projects and programs.
Identify and understand project issues. Determine and implement best alternative course of action.
Support and lead continuous improvement activities.
Facilitate the professional and technical growth of Team Members and Leaders.
Supervise manpower resources and allocation.
Facilitate open sharing of knowledge and ideas to promote employee engagement.
Conduct formal performance reviews and address performance concerns.
Create a culture of diversity and inclusion and a positive cooperative work environment
Written and verbal communication of team and project related info to key stakeholders and Senior Management.
Communicate/interface with other departments and divisions.
Effective communication of projects and deliverables to Team.
Ensure and reinforce Safety, Housekeeping, and ISO practices.
Actively seek to improve overall safety through proper training and implementation of corrective actions as necessary.
Identify and address quality issues through the implementation of product and/or process improvements.