January 2026 Leadership Development Program R&D- Brecksville, OH

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 January 2026 at Brecksville Morikis Global Technology Center supporting the R&D Automotive within 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 <