Job Details

Position Overview

The Technical Director / Head of R&D will lead product development, formulations, technical strategy, and lab operations for a portfolio of 300+ cleaning and janitorial chemical products. This executive leader will drive modernization of processes, elevate R&D rigor, ensure regulatory and quality compliance, and partner with operations to ensure consistent production performance.

The successful candidate will balance hands-on formulation expertise, leadership capability, and business-minded product strategy, moving from legacy formulations toward modern, optimized, market-competitive technologies.

This is a highly influential role, shaping the company's future technical direction while honoring its legacy and deeply rooted family-type culture.

Key Responsibilities

Product Development & Innovation

• Lead formulation development, improvement, and troubleshooting for HI&I cleaning products, including floor finishes, detergents, disinfectants, and specialty cleaners.
• Modernize existing formulations by evaluating current performance, benchmarking technologies, and incorporating advances such as PFAS-free chemistry and polymer innovations.
• Evaluate the full formulation library (300–400 SKUs) and identify strategic priorities for optimization, simplification, and modernization.

Leadership & Team Development

• Manage and mentor the technical team, including a Senior Chemist and QC Chemist, promoting process discipline, lab organization, and continuous improvement.
• Establish a structured, high-functioning lab environment, including equipment calibration, software utilization, testing protocols, and audit readiness
• Serve as a key member of the leadership team, contributing to broader product strategy, go-to-market decisions, and cross-functional initiatives

Quality, Regulatory, and Compliance

• Oversee quality control, regulatory compliance, and documentation for all formulations and raw materials.
• Strengthen investigative processes for quality issues, including root-cause analysis and batch consistency efforts alongside quality and operations teams.
• Prepare for and maintain readiness for growing customer audit requirements. (industry, regulatory, or customer-driven)

Manufacturing Support & Scale-Up

• Work hands-on with compounders and production teams to ensure scaling, batching, mixing, and blending processes are correct, efficient, and repeatable.
• Provide technical oversight to ensure batching practices (e.g., mixing order, agitation rate, equipment selection) produce consistent product quality.
• Troubleshoot production issues and partner with Operations to improve sustainability, consistency, and manufacturability of products.

Vendor, Raw Material & Market Engagement

• Lead vendor qualification, raw material evaluation, and technical product assessments while procurement manages pricing and purchasing.
• Maintain awareness of market trends and end-customer needs; act as a “fast follower” for newly introduced technology.
• Participate in product development meetings and provide technical input on customer requests and new business opportunities.

Ideal Candidate Profile

Experience

• 15–20+ years of experience in formulations, R&D, or technical leadership within chemicals, preferably HI&I cleaning, personal care/cosmetics, surfactants, or adjacent formulated chemical sectors.
• 3–5+ years in a leadership or supervisory role guiding chemists, QC teams, or technical staff.
• Strong experience with liquid formulations, ideally including cleaning chemicals, floor finishes, detergents, or similar products.
• Experience in high-mix, fast-paced manufacturing environments

Education

Master's degree is strongly preferred, Bachelor's degree is acceptable with strong experience. Degrees may include:

• Chemistry
• Chemical Engineering
• Biology / Microbiology
• Other relevant scientific disciplines

Leadership & Soft Skills

• Collaborative leader able to build trust within a long-tenured team while guiding them through modernization and change with patience and respect.
• Balanced “bench-to-boardroom” capability—hands-on when needed, yet strategic in guiding product direction and organizational improvement.
• Comfortable in a family-run, close-knit culture with strong values, cross-functional teamwork, and shared decision-making.