Sr. R&D Scientist

The Product Technology – Technology Platform Team is seeking an ambitious and goal-oriented leader for long term and wide use case product development initiatives. Candidate must be capable of identifying new technical knowledge and embrace novel approaches to assessing and developing technology. This position provides the opportunity to lead project teams and collaborate/influence stakeholders from multiple departments such as Commercialization, Marketing, Raw Materials, and Polymer Technology.  This position is accountable for leading the formulation of new coatings technologies and development of new test methods through physical, technical, and other measurement techniques.  As an integral leader in the Product Technology team your technical expertise and organizational knowledge will help shape the future state of the business by developing technical strategy aligned with business growth drivers. You will broaden your organizational impact by being an active member of the Senior Advisory Board to identify & qualify disrupting technologies while sharing technical input on cross-divisional projects. We are seeking an independent thinker who would like to leverage their technical ability to make broad organizational impact.

 

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.

The focus areas where your contribution will assist the organization are as follows:

Product innovation:

• Independently lead new product initiatives individually and as a team with a focus on architectural and specialty products as well as data science
• Utilize the stage gate process, project management & DFSS tools to effectively manage technical projects 
• Develop technical approaches in collaboration with internal & external resources aligned with project objectives
• Demonstrate independent data driven decision making based on data & technical expertise
• Collaborate with marketing & commercialization teams to align developed technologies to successful products
• Clearly communicate project updates, technical challenges & recommendations to drive projects forward 
• Record project progress & summaries through presentations, closing reports, white papers, and Cleveland Technical Memorandums (CTMs)

Innovation leadership:

• Develop technical strategy for Product Technology aligned with business unit growth drivers 
• Recommend new project opportunities to marketing and technical through detailed assessments
• Identify & incubate innovative technologies impacting future projects though involvement in SAB - Senior Advisory Board
• Leverage expert status to influence projects cross-divisionally
• Communicate learnings with the larger organization in the form of presentations, knowledge capture, mentorship and method development
• Mentor/coach/train colleagues to influence intellectual curiosity

Communication:

• Prepare written documentation and verbal presentations with technical/business information and demonstrate ability to adapt content to various audiences
• Interact independently with customers, vendors & external partners to drive project outcomes
• Provide input on department projects
• Communicate with all levels of Technical Management and Customers

Safety and Quality:

• Follow Safety, Housekeeping, and ISO practices established
• Follow quality standards, such as ITMs and ICMs & maintain certification
• Actively seek to reduce risk through corrective action of unsafe practices
• Routinely Document lab results and pertaining technical information in electronic lab notebook and/or project folder per ISO standards 

BASIC QUALIFICATION:
• Must be legally authorized 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).

FORMAL EDUCATION:
Required:
• Bachelor’s Degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (“STEM”) field

Preferred:
• Master’s or Ph.D. degree

KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE:
Required:
• Must have at least 10 years of relevant experience with coatings formulation and performance testing 
• Basic knowledge of statistics and data analysis
• Proven problem-solving and decision-making abilities in projects
• Project leadership/management 
• Experience in using DFSS tools in projects
• Strong written & verbal communication in both reports and presentations (scientific & non-technical)
• Strong interpersonal skills

Preferred:
• At least 15 years of relevant experience with broad exposure to multiple technologies in water-based and solvent-based technologies.
• Knowledge of product commercialization
• Demonstrated ability to interact effectively with various levels of technical experience
• Demonstrated ability to interact effectively with Senior levels of technical leadership
• Advances experience in DOE Software
• Experience in Data Science and Coding Tools (Python or other coding languages, Dataiku, Tableau)
• Excellent organization, planning, and documentation skills
• Demonstrated flexibility to adapt to changing priorities and new knowledge
• High level of initiative and leadership ability

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS:
10%

Here, we believe there’s not one path to success, we believe in careers that grow with you. Whoever you are or wherever you come from in the world, there’s a place for you at Sherwin-Williams. We provide you with the opportunity to explore your curiosity and drive us forward. Sherwin-Williams values the unique talents and abilities from all backgrounds and characteristics. All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply, including individuals with disabilities and Protected Veterans. We’ll give you the space to share your strengths and we want you show us what you can do. You can innovate, grow and discover in a place where you can thrive and Let Your Colors Show!  At Sherwin-Williams, part of our mission is to help our employees and their families live healthier, save smarter and feel better. This starts with a wide range of world-class benefits designed for you. From retirement to health care, from total well-being to your daily commute—it matters to us. A general description of benefits offered can be found at http://www.myswbenefits.com/. Click on “Candidates” to view benefit offerings that you may be eligible for if you are hired as a Sherwin-Williams employee. Compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case and will impact where actual compensation may fall within the stated wage range. The wage range listed for this role takes into account the wide range of factors considered in making compensation decisions including skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs. The disclosed range estimate has not been adjusted for the applicable geographic differential associated with the location at which the position may be filled. The wage range, other compensation, and benefits information listed is accurate as of the date of this posting. The Company reserves the right to modify this information at any time, with or without notice, subject to applicable law. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws including with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act where applicable. Sherwin-Williams is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer committed to an inclusive and diverse workplace. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, age, pregnancy, genetic information, creed, marital status or any other consideration prohibited by law or by contract. As a VEVRAA Federal Contractor, Sherwin-Williams requests state and local employment services delivery systems to provide priority referral of Protected Veterans. Please be aware, Sherwin-Williams recruiting team members will never request a candidate to provide a payment, ask for financial information, or sensitive personal information like national identification numbers, date of birth, or bank account numbers during the application process.