The Regional R&D Technical Director is a member of the Global Protective & Marine R&D Technology Leadership Team. This role is responsible for leading sales support, as well as product and platform development, for coating systems within Sherwin Williams’ Protective & Marine global business across the USCA Region.

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.

This role will be located at Sherwin-Williams Morikis Global Technology Center located at 6745 Miller Road, Brecksville, OH 44141.

• BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

• 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).

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university.

• Must be at least 18 years of age.

• Minimum 15 years industry experience or equivalent in the development of coatings, plastics, or related products and/or polymer development / materials science

• Direct leadership of teams at multiple sites for >5 years

• Demonstrated ability to work within and lead major cross-functional and global programs/groups

• Ability to articulate strong market knowledge, customer experience, and demonstrated relationships with Sales and Marketing groups

• Knowledge of related Regional markets, product stewardship, and regulatory requirements

• Proven project management and problem-solving skills experience.

• PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Six Sigma certification

• Experience in quality-related management

Travel Requirements: 30%

This position is not eligible for sponsorship for work authorization now or in the future, including conversion to H-1B visa.

Successful candidate will be required to sign an Employee Restrictive Covenant Agreement where permitted by law.

• Lead the development of new product technologies and steward critical programs that enable strategic global growth.

• Partner closely with Sales and Marketing to secure new business, support key accounts, and sustain the existing customer base.

• Drive the creation, protection, and deployment of intellectual property, in close collaboration with the Global Innovation Director to align IP strategy, invention disclosures, and filing priorities.

• Collaborate with Regional Purchasing and the PCG Raw Materials organization to guide raw material selection and cost‑saving initiatives.

• Coordinate global technical activities with regional R&D leaders to ensure alignment with global strategies and effective best‑practice sharing.

• Establish and manage external technology and innovation partnerships with global companies and research institutions in support of PCG strategy, partnering with the Global Innovation Director on opportunity identification, partner engagement, and governance.

• Build organizational capability and improve resource efficiency by:

• Driving best practices

• Implementing project and portfolio management disciplines

• Assessing infrastructure needs

• Hiring, developing, and mentoring technical talent

• Develop and maintain strong customer and supplier relationships that support business continuity and growth.

• Promote a safe laboratory environment through leadership in safety practices, equipment use, and maintenance.

• Lead effectively within a matrixed global organization by:

• Enabling strong internal and external connectivity to advance strategic initiatives

• Coordinating product development and technical transfer across regions in alignment with global product plans

• Deploying resources across regions, businesses, and functions to deliver technology and service objectives efficiently

Talent & Leadership

• Build and sustain a market‑ and customer‑centric culture focused on innovation, execution excellence, and continuous improvement.
• Hold technical leadership teams accountable for achieving technology, product development, and service objectives.
• Identify and prioritize the skills, expertise, and processes required to deliver business strategy.
• Lead integrated talent management efforts to attract, develop, engage, and retain top technical talent.
• Oversee performance management, succession planning, and individual development plans to ensure future organizational readiness.