TSE CASE R&D Manager

Description:

Summary
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The R&D Manager is responsible for managing the company's research and development activities, with primary emphasis on polyurethane formulation development and scale-up for toll manufacturing customers. This position leads the development, evaluation, and optimization of customer-specific formulations and oversees the successful transition of laboratory-developed products into commercial manufacturing.

Working closely with customers, Operations, Sales, Purchasing, and Quality, the R&D Manager translates customer requirements into practical, scalable, and commercially viable formulations. This role manages R&D projects from initial technical evaluation through formulation development, production scale-up, and customer qualification, ensuring that projects meet technical requirements, established timelines, and business objectives.

The R&D Manager is also responsible for leading, developing, and mentoring R&D staff, allocating resources across projects, and ensuring the department delivers technical solutions that support customer satisfaction, revenue growth, cost savings, and the company's long-term business objectives.

• Lead the transition of new and modified polyurethane formulations from laboratory development through pilot trials, process validation, and full-scale commercial production.
• Partner directly with customers to understand technical requirements, product performance expectations, processing needs, and commercial objectives.
• Translate customer concepts, specifications, and performance targets into laboratory development plans and commercially viable formulations.
• Lead formulation development, raw material evaluations, performance testing, troubleshooting, and product optimization.
• Identify opportunities to expand the company's technical capabilities, product offerings, and toll manufacturing business.
• Establish project priorities based on customer commitments, business growth opportunities, technical feasibility, and expected financial returns.
• Collaborate with Chemical Process Engineering and Operations to establish manufacturing procedures, process parameters, quality controls, and acceptance criteria for new products.
• Troubleshoot scale-up challenges, investigate deviations between laboratory and production results, and implement corrective actions to achieve consistent product performance.
• Identify and mitigate technical, operational, safety, and quality risks associated with new formulations and process changes.
• Serve as a senior technical resource for polyurethane toll manufacturing customers, building strong working relationships with customer technical teams, chemists, engineers, and decision makers.
• Serve as a technical resource for commercial production, providing guidance on formulation-related issues, troubleshooting production challenges, and recommending adjustments to ensure consistent product quality, performance, and manufacturing efficiency.
• Lead technical discussions regarding new product development, formulation modifications, process requirements, product specifications, and manufacturing feasibility.
• Manage both the Analytical and R&D laboratories.
• Approve Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for new chemical raw materials.
• Utilize strong, professional communication (oral and written), organizational, and leadership skills.
• Foster open communication and collaboration within the team, working together to develop effective, team-based solutions to issues as they arise. This position requires the ability to work in an environment with rapidly changing priorities.

Teamwork is essential for TSE’s continued success, so Teamwork is an essential function of every employee’s job. Teamwork drives positive results every day. Teamwork promotes…