R&D Manager – Formulation Chemistry – Team, Technical Impact

R&D Manager – Formulation Chemistry

– Small Team, Big Technical Impact!

Location: near Downey, CA (relocation assistance is available)

Salary: $125,000-$165,000 + Bonus

Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, 401k w/ match, Holidays, PTO

Job Type: Full-Time

Lab

Hours:

M-F, 5:00 AM – 1:30 PM (some flexibility)

Start Date: ASAP

Sponsorship is not available.

Our client, a growing manufacturer of specialty construction materials, is searching for their next R&D leader to join their team outside of Downey, CA. This opportunity is open due to the planned retirement of a longtime technical leader who has spent more than 20 years with the company. You’ll lead a small technical team (2) while remaining heavily involved in hands‑on formulation development and R&D activities.

This is not a role where you'll spend your days reviewing reports from behind a desk. Instead, you'll spend 50% of your time performing hands‑on laboratory work, including formulation development, testing, and new product development. The remainder of your time will be split between supporting quality initiatives, collaborating with manufacturing, and helping guide the overall technical direction of the business.

Candidates should have a strong background in formulation development within a wet chemistry environment. Aside from a strong technical background, they’re looking for someone who craves an opportunity to work with a smaller team where you’ll have more influence and fewer organizational layers to cut through.

This is a rare opportunity to join a company coming off its strongest year to date and take over for a longtime technical leader who genuinely wants to leave the role in good hands and help set the next person up for success.

• Lead development, testing, and optimization of new formulation-based products
• Conduct experiments to evaluate new materials, formulations, and product improvements
• Oversee daily operations of the R&D and QA/QC laboratories and manage staff (2)
• Analyze testing results, troubleshoot quality issues, and support corrective actions
• Partner with manufacturing teams to scale new formulations from the lab into production
• Ensure compliance with industry standards, testing protocols, and quality requirements
• Oversee laboratory equipment, calibration schedules, and inventory
• Assess new formulations for performance, manufacturability, and cost.
• Serve as a technical resource for customers, suppliers, sales teams, and industry partners
• Represent the company at industry events and speaking engagements

• Bachelor’s degree in chemistry or chemical engineering
• 1+ year of supervisory, team lead, or laboratory management experience
• 4+ years of hands-on wet chemistry experience
• Strong background with R&D and new product development
• Experience developing new formulations within coatings, adhesives, sealants, emulsions, specialty chemicals, paints, or similar products