Technical Manager

Our client is a growing specialty materials manufacturer that develops and produces high-performance industrial solutions for a diverse range of applications. With a strong focus on innovation, quality, and customer partnership, the company continuously invests in product development and technical excellence.

 

About the Role

 

The Technical Manager will lead the R&D and technical function, driving product innovation, formulation development, and customer-focused solutions. This role works closely with customers and cross-functional teams to develop, commercialize, and improve products while leading and developing a high-performing technical team.

 

Key Responsibilities

 

Technical Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop the technical and R&D team, promoting a culture of innovation, technical excellence, and continuous improvement.
• Provide technical guidance and support to internal stakeholders and customers.
• Build team capabilities through coaching, training, and knowledge-sharing initiatives.
• Foster strong collaboration across technical, commercial, and operational teams.

Research & Product Development

• Lead R&D activities involving formulation development, material selection, and product performance enhancement.
• Drive new product development (NPD) projects from concept generation through laboratory testing, pilot trials, and commercialisation.
• Evaluate and implement new raw materials, additives, technologies, and processes to improve product performance and competitiveness.
• Continuously improve existing products to meet evolving market and customer requirements.

Customer Technical Support & Solutions

• Engage with customers to understand application requirements and provide customised technical solutions.
• Support technical discussions, product evaluations, troubleshooting activities, and issue resolution.
• Build strong customer relationships through effective technical consultation and problem-solving.
• Participate in customer audits, technical reviews, and product qualification activities.

Commercialisation & Manufacturing Support

• Lead scale-up activities and technology transfer from R&D to production.
• Ensure product consistency, manufacturability, and cost-efficiency during commercialisation.
• Collaborate with production and quality teams to address process improvements and product performance challenges.
• Support costing reviews and product optimisation initiatives to maintain competitiveness and profitability.

Compliance & Quality Management

• Ensure all development activities comply with relevant regulatory, quality, safety, and environmental standards.
• Maintain technical documentation, reports, specifications, and product records.
• Support quality improvement programs and corrective action initiatives.
• Promote best practices in product development, testing, and validation.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Sales, Production, Procurement, and Quality teams to align development priorities with business objectives.
• Provide technical input for strategic projects, customer opportunities, and business growth initiatives.
• Present technical findings, recommendations, and project updates to management and stakeholders.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives across products, processes, and systems.

 

Key Requirements

 

• Master’s Degree or PhD in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Polymer Engineering, Materials Science, or related disciplines.
• Minimum 8 years of experience in R&D, product development, formulation, or technical functions within manufacturing, specialty chemicals, polymers, or related industries.
• Proven leadership experience managing and developing technical teams.
• Strong expertise in product development, formulation design, process improvement, and commercialisation.
• Excellent project management, problem-solving, communication, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to work effectively with customers and cross-functional teams.
• Commercially minded with a strong focus on innovation, continuous improvement, and delivering customer-driven solutions.

 

Next Steps

 

You can submit your resume by applying below. If you are open to other opportunities and would like to have a discussion about your next career move, feel free to drop me an email at liam@entalgroup.com.