Technical Expert Market Decorative Coatings Americas

Evonik•Allentown, PA

About The Position

This role provides technical representation for the Decorative Coatings market segment in North America and serves as a primary technical interface with the market and customers. It supports customer collaboration through on-site visits and virtual tools, identifies opportunities for further development, and serves as Global ART Lead for one designated Global Key Account and one large Regional Champion Account. The role monitors market trends, customer needs, and portfolio gaps, translating insights into ideas for new product development. It also supports or leads innovation projects and helps drive successful product launches. The position represents Business Line CAD and the Decorative Coatings market segment, providing technical expertise across Architectural Coatings, Pigment Concentrates, Wood Coatings, Flooring, and other Decorative Coatings applications. It works with customers and internal teams on technical inquiries, customer complaints, applications development, product and process innovation, quality assessments, and technical communications. The role also contributes to safety and regulatory compliance at the Allentown site and shares technical knowledge across the organization.

Requirements

M.S. or Ph.D. degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related science.
Approximately 5 years of experience in the chemical industry supporting customers and developing new additives or resins used in coatings applications.
Approximately 5 years of experience managing new product development projects and supervising the technical work of others.
Solid understanding of chemical structure-property relationships underlying the performance of surfactants, dispersants, and other additives, and the ability to recommend additives for specific problems or desired effects.
Experience providing technical support and training to customers and distributors and managing internal R&D, Applied Technology, Marketing, and Sales stakeholders.
Strong leadership and project management skills to build support for, plan, organize, and execute projects and strategies.
Strong teamwork and interpersonal skills to work effectively across regions, functions, and business lines.
Ability to work effectively within a complex matrixed organization with multiple stakeholders.
Fluency in English and strong verbal and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary technical contact for Decorative Coatings customers in North America, including customers in Architectural Coatings, Pigment Concentrates, Wood Coatings, Flooring, and other applications as needed.
Collaborate with customers and the market through on-site visits, conference presentations, events, seminars, and virtual engagements across North America.
Represent Business Line CAD and the Decorative Coatings market segment as a technical expert and respond to technical inquiries, particularly from Architectural Coatings customers.
Identify opportunities for technical service representatives (TSRs) and collaborate with the regional ART Head, laboratory teams, Quality Control, and Complaint Management to resolve customer complaints and determine technical solutions.
Implement product and process development ideas through I2P projects in partnership with the regional ART Head, RD&I, other market segments, and product lines.
Identify work for new product development projects and supervise scientists and/or technicians carrying out that work; file patent applications as appropriate.
Follow up with North American customers to understand the performance of experimental products in their formulations.
Document and statistically validate experimental results with the team manager, laboratory team, and internal and external stakeholders.
Prepare publications and promotional materials with Marketing when needed, such as factsheets, articles, launch presentations, and COATINO® campus content.
Participate actively in the Americas Decorative Coatings Market Segment Team, ensure alignment with global and regional strategies, and execute market-oriented applications development and innovation activities across sub-segments as needed.
Monitor market trends, competitive activities, and technology developments; recommend benchmarking initiatives and translate customer and market needs into product and process development ideas.
Participate in and, where appropriate, lead internal expert committees, including the Center of Excellence for Architectural Coatings; expand technical expertise and share information through activities such as internal training.
Transfer knowledge about additives and formulations to colleagues.
Comply with North American regional and Allentown site EHSQ requirements; support preparation of Safe Work Practices and Class A and B Design Hazard Reviews by participating in safety assessments and DHR teams for supervised projects.
Ensure hazards and regulatory compliance associated with materials and processes are assessed and communicated.
Serve on one Allentown site Safety@Evonik subcommittee and develop and deliver safety meeting materials.
Update technical data sheets and product information on the Coating Additives website.
Lead product quality assessments when required following product quality complaints or to qualify samples before production changes, and supervise scientists conducting any required laboratory evaluations.