R&D- Sr. Scientist

This Automotive Finishes Division R&D Sr. Scientist will lead Automotive OEM Interior New Product Development initiatives and is accountable for providing timely and accurate solutions to multiple complex problems using considerable technical expertise and experience. This position has responsibility for delivering new products and methods, improving processes, mentoring technical team members, and continuing to develop in areas of recognizable expertise. This position reports to the Automotive OEM Interior Senior Technical Manager.

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.

* Understand the challenges and needs for next generation solvent-borne and water-borne Automotive OEM Interior coatings; work with internal technical teams and strategic vendors to explore and develop new technology platforms that are novel and of commercial impact.
* Coordinate and leverage in-house resin capabilities and development activities.
* Identify articulated and unarticulated customers' needs to build product profiles which will lead to next generation technologies and breakthrough products.
* Collaborate with all functional teams and drive execution of innovation strategy.
* Develop and capture intellectual property.
* Lead project teams, or highly technically-challenging programs, or several unrelated projects at one time.
* Directly mentor/coach/train technical team members as recognized Subject Matter Expert.
* Create product development efficiencies.
* Utilize structure-property relationships to guide prototype design, and problem-solving in development activities.
* Collaborate with Automotive R&D and application teams to implement new technology platforms.
* Interact with Innovation teams and other division technical teams to leverage work.
* Interact with marketing and stake holders, take initiative in developing new project proposals of strategic impact for Automotive OEM Interior segment.
* Serve as technical expert in Automotive OEM Interior products and technologies, provide technical trainings, respond to highly complex technical topics, work on solutions, and present/communicate results with broader teams.
* Preserve technical knowledge by issuing reports on technology development projects.
* Adhere to safety policies and laboratory procedures.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS
* Bachelor's degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering or Math field.
* Must have the legal right 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).
* 10 years of coatings-specific industry experience with track record of technology deliveries.
* Problem-solving and project-management skills.
* Ability to tailor communications to fit the needs of the audience.
* Ability to adapt and change quickly in response to new situations/demands.

PREFERRED REQUIREMENTS
* Ph.D. degree in chemistry/polymer-related field.
* 12 years of coatings-specific industry experience.
* Technical expertise, knowledge and experience working with industrial coatings including 1K and 2K primer, monocoat, basecoat/clearcoat systems in solid shades and metallics in both solvent based and waterborne systems.
* Design for Six Sigma (DFSS)
* Design of Experiment
* Experience leading cross functional teams.

Travel Requirement: Up to 10% Domestic and International

Upon completion of construction, the individual selected for this role will primarily work at the new Sherwin-Williams Global Technology Center in Brecksville, Ohio. Construction is expected to be complete in Q4 2024. Until then, the role will be based at Warrensville Technology Center, located at 4440 Warrensville Center Road, Warrensville Hts, OH 44128.