Research & Development Director – Paper & Board

This exciting and rarely available position comes with Relocation Assistance and offers mid-term career progression to VP level.

• Role reports to: VP Technology
• No. of Reports: 4

Our Client provides forward thinking technology led solutions for customers in paper and packaging. With several hundred patents, and customers on three continents, their scientists and application specialists help Paper and Board manufacturers make better products – and open the way for entirely new solutions while at the same time leading biomaterial sustainability advances.

Having made significant breakthroughs in new applications and platform technologies, they are a leading global manufacturer within their sector.

Their technology makes a valuable contribution to a sustainable circular economy with manufacturing locations in Europe, the Americas and Asia.

This role is laboratory and office based and as the Paper and Board R&D Director, you will safely manage the day-to-day running of the Paper and Board R&D Team, ensuring a timely delivery of outputs to internal and external customers.

Why should you apply?

This position is varied and exciting in a very dynamic, international environment. You will be presented with the opportunity to not only help shape the R&D team, but the further expansion of the whole company.

The site has a very well equipped R&D laboratory complex located in a desirable part of the UK. 

You will be offered a highly competitive salary, annual reviews, several types of bonuses, life assurance, income protection, health club membership reimbursement, generous pension, Perks at Work benefit platform, free employee assistance program, recruitment referral scheme, service awards, LinkedIn Learning account, work-life balance, social events, trust and flexibility, support of a great team and career development. 

Job Scope

• Manage the laboratory and pilot- scale technical aspects of the company’s Paper and Board new customer acquisition and New Product Development projects.
• Play an active role in determining the company’s strategy and tactics in the paper and board area. 
• Identify training needs and development needs of employees under direct supervision.

Key Tasks and Responsibilities

• Design, execution, analysis and reporting of lab-scale and pilot-scale papermaking studies as part of both short customer acquisition projects and New Product Development projects.
• Interface with commercial teams, customers and others.
• Assist Intellectual Property lawyers with maintenance and growth of IP portfolio.
• Develop data in support of regulatory allowances.
• Jointly develop the company position in Corporate Social Responsibility.

Job Specifications

• BSC and PhD in Physical Sciences.
• Managerial experience.
• Detailed knowledge of laboratory-scale and pilot-scale papermaking and paper characterisation.
• Proven record of New Product Development.
• Experience with intellectual property, regulatory and corporate Social Responsibility aspects of project work.

• All enquiries and applications dealt with in strictest confidence
• CVs in MS Word format please, (.doc / .docx)

Key Words: Paper, Paperboard, Papermaking, Paper Manufacture, Paper Science, Materials Science, Chemistry, Phd, Research & Development, R&D, Laboratory, New Product Development, NPD, Laboratory scale, Pilot scale.