R&D Surface​/Coatings Team Lead

An educational platform on tribology — the science of friction, wear and lubrication

Who is it for

Engineers, researchers, students and industry professionals

The Surface s /Coatings Team lead will manage the Surface s/Coatings competency cluster in the Product and Process Technology group as part of the Novelis R&D Americas organization located in Kennesaw, Georgia. The Team L ead is responsible f or delivering S urfaces / C oatings project portfolio and managing technical resource s while executing fundamental research as well as leading projects in product and process innovation.

In addition to managing the scientist and engineers in the cluster , t he candidate should have strong fundamental understandi ng and hands‑on experience in characterization of physical, chemical, an d mechanical properties of surface s of aluminum sheet product s , and sheet metal products and processing technologies . Th is role also requires experience in surface functionalization methods , tribology, surface treatment, coatings, surface texturing on aluminum sheet metal surfaces .

In addition to the Surface/Coatings , the Team lead will work closely with other comp etency clusters of R&D Engineers and Scientists in Metallurgy, Forming, Corrosion, Joining, and Customer/Plant Support to solve challenging problems across all Novelis value streams (can, auto, aerospace, and specialties) and develop a deeper core knowledge . Opportunities exist to interface with external customers and partners, travel to Novelis sites and disseminate findings in peer‑reviewed journals and at international conferences .

Applicants should be able to deliver on‑time results in a fast‑paced research and development environment .

• Lead the Surfaces / Coatings cluster to perform fundamental and applied surface science research to develop new products and processes by improving the surface performance of Novelis aluminum sheet products for Automotive, P ackaging and Specialties applications . D evelop talent , t rain and mentor team members and other scientists and engineers within the organization for their career growth in Novelis.
• Oversee the portfolio of projects in Surface /Coatings cluster to deliver against targets managing the available resources including SPC. Provide project management support and training to team members to execute projects. Utilize Stage‑Gate process to manage R&D portfolio and mentor the use of appropriate project management tools .
• Provide technical leadership in surface chemistry, mechanics , tribology and understanding of interface phenomena to support product and process development projects with Novelis operations or customers. D evelop scientific understanding and technical competencies in surface science s relevant to aluminum sheet products .
• Develop competency/capability roadmap for the Surfaces & Coatings cluster that is linked to value stream GTD technology roadmap . Innovate in Surfaces & Coatings , such as new polymer coatings, new pretr eat ment , and surface modi fication by l aser processing . L ead development and deployment of advanced surface characterization techniques .
• Provide consulting expertise to scientists, engineers, and project managers in innovation projects of Automotive, Beverage packaging and Specialty programs .
• Create intellectual property for new products, processes, and techniques to maintain competitive advantage of Novelis in aluminum industry.
• Support initiatives for development of external partnerships with research institutions, universities, and industry consortia to identify , develop and capture emerging technologies in surface & interface science , and texturing and functionalization of wide range of…