Senior Color Scientist / Color Lab Supervisor

Geon•Avon Lake, OH

About The Position

The Color Technology Laboratory Supervisor / Senior Color Formulation Scientist leads the development, formulation, and commercialization of custom color solutions for thermoplastic compounds across multiple end markets. The role combines hands-on color formulation expertise with laboratory leadership, customer support, project management, and team supervision. It oversees color matching, pigment and additive selection, color quality systems, laboratory operations, and continuous improvement, while partnering with Sales, Product Development, Manufacturing, Technical Service, and customers. The position serves as the company's technical leader for color technology and supports strategic growth through product innovation, customer-facing technical engagement, and development of color formulation best practices. The role develops and optimizes color formulations for a range of thermoplastic compounds, creates custom color matches, evaluates pigments and additives, troubleshoots color and processing issues, and supports product development through commercial production. It also maintains formulation databases and color libraries while protecting proprietary formulation knowledge, and evaluates color stability and long-term performance. As laboratory supervisor, the role directs laboratory personnel on one shift, establishes priorities, allocates resources, develops procedures and testing protocols, monitors laboratory performance, and manages equipment maintenance, calibration, and capital planning. It provides technical and customer support, collaborates with manufacturing on scale-up and production issues, establishes color-control standards, and advances quality, compliance, and continuous improvement. The role also coaches and develops laboratory employees, conducts performance evaluations, and builds technical capability within the color laboratory function.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Polymer Science, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Color Science, or a related technical discipline.
At least 7 years of experience in color formulation, thermoplastics compounding, color concentrates, masterbatch, additives, or related polymer technologies.
Proven experience developing commercial color formulations for thermoplastics.
Experience supporting manufacturing operations and production scale-up activities.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree.
At least 2 years of leadership, supervisory, or project leadership experience.

Responsibilities

Develop and optimize color formulations for thermoplastic compounds, including PVC, TPE, TPV, polyolefins, engineering thermoplastics, and specialty compounds.
Create custom color matches from physical standards, Pantone references, customer samples, and digital color data.
Select and evaluate pigments, dyes, effect pigments, color concentrates, and additives to meet customer specifications.
Troubleshoot color variation, appearance defects, and processing-related color issues.
Support product development projects from concept through commercial production.
Maintain formulation databases and color libraries while protecting proprietary formulation knowledge.
Evaluate color stability, weatherability, UV resistance, thermal stability, and long-term performance characteristics.
Supervise daily activities of Color Technicians, Laboratory Technicians, and Color Specialists, including direct reports on one shift.
Establish laboratory priorities and allocate resources to meet business objectives and customer commitments.
Develop laboratory procedures, testing protocols, and best practices.
Monitor laboratory metrics, including turnaround time, first-pass color match success rates, and project completion.
Manage laboratory equipment maintenance, calibration, and capital equipment planning.
Foster a safe, organized, and productive laboratory environment.
Partner with Sales and Technical Service teams to support customer programs and business development initiatives.
Serve as the primary technical resource for color-related customer inquiries and escalations.
Participate in customer visits, vendor meetings, technical presentations, and troubleshooting activities.
Translate customer requirements into practical color and material solutions.
Support qualification and commercialization for new products and strategic customer accounts.
Collaborate with manufacturing teams to scale formulations from laboratory to production.
Investigate and resolve production color issues.
Develop color-control standards and manufacturing specifications.
Support process optimization related to color consistency and appearance, and ensure formulations are robust and transferable across manufacturing assets.
Establish color measurement standards using spectrophotometers and color management systems.
Develop color acceptance criteria and quality-control procedures.
Analyze color performance data and identify improvement opportunities.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on laboratory efficiency and formulation effectiveness.
Support ISO, quality, and regulatory compliance requirements.
Coach, mentor, and develop laboratory personnel.
Conduct performance evaluations and establish development plans.
Train employees on formulation practices, laboratory techniques, and color science principles.
Build technical capability and succession strength within the color laboratory function.