2026 Polymer R&D Accelerated Development Program

The Polymer R&D ADP is a high potential program designed to develop key skills and experience that will lead to R&D positions within our Global Supply Chain.  In our Global Supply Chain (GSC) group, you will be exposed to different parts of GSC R&D to ensure you receive key experiences and activities to prepare for a position within our R&D Career Track. This role is intended to start in either January 2026 or June 2026.

Experiences and learnings of the R&D Accelerated Development Program include: 

• Build knowledge of polymer synthesis and their use in paints and coatings 
• Execute testing methods and quality control using statistics software 
• Learn and build understanding of commercialization, product, industry and segment knowledge 
• Build expertise in project management and report out on results and findings 
• Create and foster relationships with global supply chain and gain knowledge of plant operations 
• Build cross-functional partnerships with and understand the interaction of Marketing, Operations, & Technical Services to execute innovation strategy. 
• Other duties as assigned 

Job duties include contact with other employees, operating heavy machinery, and access to proprietary information, raw materials, finished merchandise, 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 vendors. 

Minimum Requirements: 

• Must have a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Biology, or Materials Science by the start of this development program (January or June 2026)
• Must have a minimum GPA: 2.8 on a 4.0 scale 
• Must be authorized to work in the US without company sponsorship 
• Must have previous experience working in a team-oriented setting including work experience, extracurricular activities, military service, etc. 
• Must be open to relocation 
• Must have relevant coursework; at least two semesters of Chemistry and two semesters of Organic Chemistry
• Must have at least one (1) year of experience using Microsoft Office products (e.g. Word, Excel, Power Point, Teams, and/or Outlook)  

 

Preferred Qualifications 

• Have previous experience working in a lab environment  
• Have previous experience with project management 
• Have previous Sherwin-Williams experience 
• Have involvement in student organizations such as American Chemical Society, Alpha Chi Sigma 
• Have paint and coatings industry knowledge or experience 
• Have polymer science coursework or research
• Experience with Statistics Software  

At Sherwin-Williams, our purpose is to inspire and improve the world by coloring and protecting what matters. Our paints, coatings and innovative solutions make the places and spaces in our world brighter and stronger. Your skills, talent and passion make it possible to live this purpose, and for customers and our business to achieve great results. Sherwin-Williams is a place that takes its stability, growth and momentum and translates it to possibility for our people. Our people are behind the strength of our success, and we invest and support you in:

Life … with rewards, benefits and the flexibility to enhance your health and well-being
Career … with opportunities to learn, develop new skills and grow your contribution
Connection … with an inclusive team and commitment to our own and broader communities
It's all here for you... let's Create Your Possible

At Sherwin-Williams, part of our mission is to help our employees and their families live healthier, save smarter and feel better. This starts with a wide range of world-class benefits designed for you. From retirement to health care, from total well-being to your daily commute—it matters to us. A general description of benefits offered can be found at http://www.myswbenefits.com/. Click on “Candidates” to view benefit offerings that you may be eligible for if you are hired as a Sherwin-Williams employee.

Compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case and will impact where actual compensation may fall within the stated wage range. The wage range listed for this role takes into account the wide range of factors considered in making compensation decisions including skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs. The disclosed range estimate has not been adjusted for the applicable geographic differential associated with the location at which the position ma