R&D Manager

Company:

Adecco’s client is a company specializing in chemical additives and industrial auxiliaries, serving industries such as paints & coatings, printing inks, textiles, paper, water treatment, oil & gas, and electroplating. They are looking for an R&D Supervisor to lead fine chemical product and process development, manage laboratory and pilot activities, and support technology transfer to production. 

Responsibilities:

1. R&D Project Planning & Management

• Develop R&D plans aligned with product priorities, business objectives, available equipment, and technical requirements.
• Define technical approaches, experimental priorities, project milestones, resource allocation, and deliverables.
• Evaluate technical feasibility and lead root-cause investigations for project-related issues.
• Organize project review meetings and provide regular updates to management on project progress, risks, and required actions.

2. Organic Synthesis & Process Development

• Lead the design, development, and optimization of organic synthesis routes for fine chemical products.
• Guide and supervise reactions including hydrogenation, reduction, oxidation, cyclization, condensation, esterification, and hydrolysis.
• Oversee catalyst selection, screening, and performance evaluation.
• Optimize process parameters such as raw material ratios, feeding strategies, temperature, pressure, reaction time, solvent selection, and operating conditions.
• Lead development activities related to extraction, distillation, crystallization, filtration, drying, and solvent recovery processes.
• Troubleshoot technical issues involving reaction performance, impurity control, crystallization behavior, product yield, quality consistency, and solvent recovery efficiency.

3. Laboratory Management

• Establish and maintain laboratory procedures covering equipment operation, chemical handling, sample management, documentation, housekeeping, and waste disposal.
• Assign tasks, review experimental protocols, monitor work quality, and provide technical guidance to the R&D team.
• Manage laboratory equipment, materials, chemicals, and consumables.
• Train R&D personnel on laboratory techniques, equipment operation, documentation standards, and safety practices.

4. Analytical Testing & QC Coordination

• Coordinate with the Quality Control (QC) team regarding testing requirements for raw materials, intermediates, reaction samples, and finished products.
• Support analytical method development for purity, impurity profiling, moisture content, residual solvents, and other quality parameters.
• Review analytical data to support reaction monitoring, purification processes, crystallization optimization, and product quality improvement.
• Coordinate analytical testing and troubleshooting activities while maintaining a clear separation from QC’s product release authority.

5. Pilot Trials, Scale-Up & Technology Transfer

• Lead laboratory-to-pilot scale process transfer activities and evaluate equipment suitability.
• Prepare and review pilot trial plans, material balances, process parameters, sampling strategies, and risk control measures.
• Identify and mitigate scale-up risks related to heat transfer, mixing efficiency, gas evolution, pressure control, solvent recovery, corrosion, and equipment compatibility.
• Collaborate closely with Production, Engineering, Maintenance, Procurement, QC, and SHE teams during pilot trials.
• Prepare technology transfer documentation and support manufacturing readiness for commercial production.

6. Patents & Technical Documentation

• Conduct research on patents, scientific literature, and technical publications to support R&D initiatives.
• Identify and document potential patentable innovations, process improvements, and technical achievements.
• Prepare patent disclosures, technical reports, experimental summaries, and project proposals.
• Maintain complete and accurate documentation for R&D projects, laboratory experiments, pilot trials, and intellectual property activities.

7. Team Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Build, manage, and develop a high-performing R&D team.
• Establish project priorities based on business value, technical risks, production requirements, and available resources.
• Provide training, coaching, mentoring, and performance management for team members.
• Collaborate with Production, Engineering, QC, Procurement, and other departments to ensure successful implementation of R&D outcomes.

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Organic Chemistry, Applied Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, or a related field is preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree with relevant industry experience and demonstrated expertise in organic synthesis, project execution, laboratory operations, and team management is also acceptable.
• Minimum 3-5 years of experience in organic synthesis, fine chemicals R&D, pharmaceutical intermediates, process development, or related technical management roles.
• Strong hands-on experience in organic reactions and process development. Experience in catalytic hydrogenation, cyclization, catalyst screening, crystallization optimization, and process scale-up is highly preferred.
• Proven experience managing laboratory personnel, equipment, chemicals, safety programs, and technical documentation systems.
• Familiarity with analytical techniques including GC, HPLC, moisture analysis, titration, and impurity profiling, with the ability to interpret results and coordinate testing activities effectively.
• Experience preparing or supporting patent applications, technical proposals, research reports, and project submissions is an advantage.
• Demonstrated ability to organize and manage laboratory-to-pilot technology transfer, including evaluation of equipment suitability, operating parameters, process performance, and scale-up risks.