R&D Manager, Plastic Additives

Milliken & Company is a global manufacturing leaderwhose focus on materials science delivers tomorrow's breakthroughs today. Fromindustry-leading molecules to sustainable innovations, Milliken creates products thatenhance people's lives and deliver solutions for its customers and communities. Drawing on thousands of patents and a portfolio with applications across the textile, flooring, chemical and healthcare businesses, the company harnesses a shared sense of integrity and excellence to positively impact the world for generations. Discover more about Milliken's curious minds and inspired solutions at and on , , and .

POSITION TITLE

Research & Development Manager, Plastics Additives

COMPANY OVERVIEW

This position falls within our Plastics Additives (PA) business, the flagship business unit of

Milliken's Chemical Division.

POSITION OVERVIEW

This position is a key research and development leadership role in Milliken Chemical's Plastics Additives Business reporting to the Global Director of Research and Development with management responsibility for a team of 15+ scientists, engineers, and technicians with responsibilities spanning discovery, chemical process development, piloting, scale-up, and analytical method development. A key responsibility will be helping to organize and manage the research and product development project portfolio in coordination with technical and business leadership. Helping to craft well-defined scope documents and provide oversight to project teams is a key deliverable.

The ideal candidate will have a technical background in chemistry or chemical engineering, a successful track record of innovation and new product development, and experience in supervising R&D personnel.

The position is located at our corporate headquarters in Spartanburg, SC. Hours of work are typically Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm with occasional required travel.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop and execute a healthy NPD project pipeline to achieve business growth objectives
• Support an innovation culture through both internal and external engagement
• Develop team members as technical professionals while managing for excellence
• Proactively engage with multiple projects as a sponsor, helping to allocate and adjust resources as required
• Guide teams on technical approaches and project plans, while ensuring they meet milestones
• Create and manage an annual budget (with the R&D Director)
• Provide guidance on improving laboratory capabilities to enhance productivity
• Champion and collaborate with R&D, Sales, and Operations teams to define and prioritize new product or business development opportunities.
• As required, support Operations on opportunities for improvement in manufacturing, sourcing, and quality
• Manage a safe working environment across multiple laboratories

QUALIFICATIONS

• PhD in Chemical Engineering or Chemistry or a BS or MS with 5+ years in industrial R&D
• A high energy leader, with experience working with global, cross functional teams and a great sense of ownership. "It's my business" mentality.
• Demonstrated experience in project management and leadership of technical professionals.
• Exhibit a sense of urgency and independent initiative toward accomplishing objectives
• Strong technical acumen, with the ability to make data-driven decisions.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex data.
• Excellent project management skills with the ability to prioritize tasks, meet deadlines and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Effective communication and presentation skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate across the division and company as well as with customers.
• Ability to forge working relationships quickly across geographic and cultural boundaries.
• Experience in process development/pilot/scale-up is highly desirable

Milliken is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical condition, including but not limited to lactation), sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression (including transgender status), ancestry, national origin, citizenship, age physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran or military status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.