Research & Development Manager

The R&D Manager directs the full lifecycle of chemical product innovation, from initial lab formulation and prototyping through to pilot plant scale-up and high-volume commercial production.

This role ensures that all technical projects comply with strict chemical safety regulations, sustainability goals, financial budgets, and corporate objectives.

Formulation Development: Design new chemical formulas and optimize existing products to improve performance.Process Scale-up: Transition products from lab-scale/pilot testing to full-scale chemical manufacturing safely.Regulatory Compliance: Ensure all activities adhere to environmental, health, and safety regulations (e.g., REACH, OSHA, SDS).Lab Leadership: Manage, mentor, and evaluate a team of chemical researchers and lab technicians.Testing & Quality: Establish rigorous testing methodologies to validate product stability and chemical compliance.Intellectual Property: Document proprietary chemical processes and assist in filing patents to protect technology.Cross-Functional Support: Partner with Production to troubleshoot manufacturing bottlenecks and support Sales with technical insights.

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Industrial Chemistry, or Chemical Engineering Experience: 7 to 10 years in chemical R&D.Technical Expertise: Deep knowledge of chemical formulation, hazardous materials, and analytical instrumentation (e.g., HPLC, GC).Project Management: Proven ability to lead complex projects using PMP, Agile, or Stage-Gate frameworks.Analytical Thinking: Superior capacity to troubleshoot formulation failures, chemical instability, and process bottlenecks.Commercial Acumen: Understanding of manufacturing cost modeling, raw material supply chains, and consumer insights.Communication: Strong capability to translate complex chemical data into actionable business insights for executives.