R&D- Group Leader

This position will be responsible for leading and managing a portion of the Architectural Commercialization Engineering (CE) team. This position is accountable for contributing to and/or leading Engineering support for New Product Development, Maintenance of Business, Continuous Process Improvement, 6-sigma, and Quality Investigation projects.

Job duties include contact with other employees and access to 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 is not remote/hybrid. This role will report to Sherwin-Williams Morikis Global Technology Center located at 6745 Miller Road, Brecksville, OH 44141.

20% Travel

Key responsibilities with limited to moderate supervision and input:

• Define and communicate clear goals, roles, responsibilities, and performance expectations for members of the GSC Architectural Commercialization Engineering and Engineering Lab teams. 
• Lead, develop, and coach a team of engineers and technicians, ensuring strong technical expertise and effective execution of commercialization engineering activities.  
• Manage Commercialization Engineering support for Architectural Paint, Specialty New Product Development (NPD), and Maintenance of Business (MOB) projects, ensuring successful project delivery aligned with business objectives.  
• Drive the allocation and prioritization of team resources to support project timelines, quality requirements, and organizational goals.  
• Lead and/or support Continuous Improvement initiatives within the GSC Commercialization process to enhance development speed, operational efficiency, and overall product quality.  
• Partner closely with Commercialization Engineering leaders and cross-functional stakeholders to coordinate project support, resolve technical and operational challenges, and implement process improvements.  
• Foster a culture of safety, accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning across engineering and laboratory teams.  
• Monitor key performance indicators and team effectiveness, identifying opportunities to improve productivity, quality, and customer satisfaction.

1. Leadership 
• Provide leadership and oversight for Architectural Commercialization Engineering (CE) project activities, ensuring risks and issues are identified early, addressed proactively, and fully resolved prior to implementation.  
• Align team priorities, resources, and execution with departmental and organizational strategic objectives to support Commercialization Engineering and business goals.  
• Select and develop high-performing employees while fostering an open, collaborative, and accountable team environment that promotes engagement and productivity. 
• Champion a culture of diversity, inclusion, respect, and teamwork, creating an environment where all employees can contribute and succeed.  
• Leverage data, technical expertise, and effective influencing skills to drive sound decisions, gain stakeholder alignment, and achieve desired business outcomes.  
• Promote and model the use of Design for Six Sigma (DFSS), data science, scientific thinking, and structured problem-solving methodologies across R&D and commercialization activities.  
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and learning while encouraging the adoption of best practices and new capabilities within the team.  
• Ensure a strong commitment to safety, quality, compliance, and operational excellence in all team activities.

2. Business Management 
• Effectively manage team workload, priorities, and resources to ensure projects are executed efficiently, meet established objectives, and are delivered on schedule.  
• Drive accountability within the team for developing project plans and meeting key milestones and deadlines that support business needs and commercialization objectives.  
• Partner with Commercialization Engineering leadership to prioritize project portfolios, balance resource allocation, and optimize team capacity to meet changing business demands.  
• Identify, assess, and communicate project risks, issues, and business impacts in a timely manner; develop and recommend effective solutions and mitigation plans with limited to moderate guidance.  
• Monitor project progress and resource utilization, making data-driven adjustments to ensure successful project execution and achievement of quality, cost, and timing targets.  
• Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders to align project priorities, resolve barri