R&D Project Leader I

We’ve been pioneering a world of possibilities to bring surfaces to life for well over 200 years. As experts in making coatings, there’s a good chance you’re only ever a few meters away from one of our products. Our world class portfolio of brands – including Dulux, International, Sikkens and Interpon – is trusted by customers around the globe. We’re active in more than 150 countries and have set our sights on becoming the global industry leader. It’s what you’d expect from the most sustainable paints company, which has been inventing the future for more than two centuries.

Purpose of the job

The Project Leader I owns the whole project scope of a technical workstream and is responsible for successful delivery, in conjunction with other functions. S/he supervises junior staff and adequately manages resources and timelines to deliver outcomes. The Project Leader I demonstrates effectiveness in selling a technical vision, has the ability to think strategically, and has proven success at managing stakeholders at all levels.

Key responsibilities

The Project Leader I supports the goals of the business by delivering the technical workstream on regional or global projects. S/He understands both formulation requirements and the market or customers being served.

The Project Leader I performs each essential duty safely, satisfactorily, and in a timely manner.

• Oversee and/or lead the development of new products, or review of existing products, including scale up and customer trials
• Complete benchwork alongside team members
• Create workplans and review results with junior level team members
• Plan on a quarterly to yearly timescale with regular stakeholder reviews
• Train or transmit technical knowledge within the local, regional, or global team
• Write and supervise execution of DOE’s, including data analysis and interpretation 
• Understand customer requirements and translate into technical parameters and testing
• Act as technical expert for communication with internal and external stakeholders, such as internal technical reports and customer presentations
• Effective interaction with production sites to implement new products or make processing improvements

Job requirements

Essential Qualifications

• Highly organized, self-motivated and able to work easily with cross-functional groups (sales, marketing, supply chain)
• Be a role model of safe work environment practices
• Adaptive communication style to different levels of the organization, from technician to Director
• Ability to deal with and work in environment with high level of ambiguity
• Capability of integration in an international/multi-cultural environment

Prerequisites:

1. Bachelor degree or higher in a laboratory science, preferably chemistry, materials science, or chemical engineering
2. 4+ years work experience in chemistry or coatings industry
3. Good knowledge of chemistry/polymers/formulation in coatings with previous hands-on experience
4. Familiar with the StageGate and DOE process
5. Available to travel for trials or customer visits (5-10%)

AkzoNobel is an equal opportunity employer. We are highly committed to ensuring an inclusive and respectful workplace where all employees can be their best self. We strive to embrace diversity in a context of tolerance. Our talent acquisition process plays an integral part in this journey, as setting the foundations for a diverse environment. For this reason, we train and educate on the implications of our Unconscious Bias in order for our TA and hiring managers to be mindful of them and take corrective actions when applicable. In accordance with applicable laws, we prohibit discrimination against any applicant or employee based on any legally-recognized basis, including, but not limited to: race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, lactation, childbirth or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, genetic information (including testing and characteristics), veteran status, uniformed servicemember status or any other status protected by federal, state or local law.

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Requisition ID: 26744