Leadership Development Program R&D- Minneapolis

Minneapolis, MN, United States

Sherwin-Williams is seeking motivated individuals who have a drive for research & development to join our R&D Leadership Development Program. This training program is designed to develop key skills and experience that will lead to a role in the Chemist track within our Performance Coatings Group, supporting one of our technical divisions which include Automotive, Coil, Industrial Wood, General Industrial, Packaging or Protective and Marine.

The Leadership Development Program (LDP) is a 8–12-month program that will expose participants to the various aspects of the Performance Coatings Group. Participants will spend the full program in one assignment that will provide a deep-dive experience in Research & Development. LDP participants will be in one position for the entire program until post program placement. Participants should be open to initial relocation for program and possible long-term relocation for post program positions.

This position will start in June 2026 at our Minneapolis, Minnesota campus supporting the Performance Coatings Group.

Following completion of the program, you will have the opportunity to apply for a post-program promotion as on the Chemist track.

The Research & Development Leadership Development Program is an 8–12-month program designed to develop key skills and experience that will lead to a position within the Chemist track of our Performance Coatings Group, supporting one of our technical divisions.

Knowledge of paint and coatings chemistry and formulation

Experience testing methods and quality control using statistics software

Understanding of commercialization, product, industry and segment

Expertise in project management and reporting results and findings

Opportunity to build relationships with supply chain and gain knowledge of plant operations

Opportunity to build cross-functional partnerships with Sales, Marketing, Operations, & Technical Services to execute innovation strategy

Opportunity to work alongside senior chemists

Minimum Qualifications:

Must have Bachelor’s degree in science or technical related field including but not limited to Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Polymer Science and Corrosion Engineering by the start of this development program.

Must have a minimum GPA: 3.0 on a 4.0 scale

Must have previous experience working on projects in a lab environment

Must be open to relocation based on business need for this position, and again for post program position and promotional opportunities

Must be authorized to work in the US without company sponsorship now or in the future

Must have at least one (1) year of experience using Microsoft Office Products (e.g. Word, Excel, Power Point, Teams, and/or Outlook)

Must be able, with or without reasonable accommodation, to retrieve materials from shelves,, floor stacks, and/or floor stacks, and/or pallet racking and lift and/or carry up to 50 lbs. frequently and up to 100lbs occasionally

Preferred Qualifications

Have a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Polymer Science, or Material Science

Have at least one (1) year of work experience managing projects

Have previous Sherwin-Williams lab experience

Have previous experience working in a team-oriented setting including work experience, extracurricular activities, military service, etc.

Have paint and coatings industry knowledge or experience

Have prior work experience maintaining and analyzing data

About Performance Coatings Group at Sherwin-Williams:

The Sherwin-Williams Performance Coatings Group supplies a broad range of highly-engineered solutions for the construction, industrial, packaging and transportation markets in more than 120 countries around the world. There are seven business units under the Performance Coatings Group, which include:
Automotive Finishes, Coil Coatings, Engineered Polymer Solutions, General Industrial Coatings, Packaging Coatings, Protective & Marine, and Industrial Wood Coatings. The industrial markets we service include but are not limited to:
Beverage & Food Cans, Furniture, Flooring, Cars, Airplanes, Marine, Oil & Gas, Electronics, Military and Appliances.

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