Director of Research & Development

Responsibilities

• Lead, staff and manage Cresilon R&D team across multiple parallel product development opportunities, to launch new commercially successful products and processes in the animal health and human markets
• Provide sound scientific leadership, support and coaching to R&D team through the initiation, planning, execution and monitoring their overall activities
• Act as a technical thought leader overseeing a discovery/innovation efforts focused on materials and technologies, providing technical expertise and scientific direction to ensure new product development and applicable sustaining engineering projects are completed successfully to the committed schedule, product specifications and budgets established for the projects
• Play a lead role in technology transfer, scale-up and process characterization & validation by coordinating the transfer and providing technical assistance in the introduction of new products and processes into manufacturing operations
• Lead and direct exploratory research development to reflect pipeline expansion goals
• Regularly interface with Vice President of Technology to ensure research operations reflect overall corporate vision/strategy
• Ensure compliance with all applicable specifications, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and FDA regulations. Ensure that all budgets, schedules, and performance requirements are met. Collaborate with stakeholders, functional managers, and cross-functional staff to facilitate seamless project execution including conflict resolution and removal of obstacles to execution
• Develop and implement investigations into new technologies and capabilities that advance research team and company objectives
• Provide technical assistance for diagnosing design and manufacturing quality problems
• Guide development and documentation of test plan protocols, standard operating procedures, specifications, and test procedures
• Review and provide functional approval for project and quality system documentation
• Maintain positive and cooperative communications and collaboration with all levels of employees, customers, contractors, and vendors
• Perform other related duties and responsibilities, on occasion, as assigned
• Work as part of a cross-functional team to develop, verify, and validate product designs through bench, in-vitro, and in-vivo testing and assessments
• Achieve an effective documentation system is in place and utilized throughout the development process inclusive of R&D lab notebooks, design reviews, test methods, and test reports
• Achieve an effective documentation system is in place and utilized throughout the development process inclusive of R&D lab notebooks, design reviews, test methods, and test reports
• Develop unique, proprietary (and ideally patentable) intellectual property that yields competitive advantage
• Lead research department review and other team meetings, develop agendas, handle reviews and follow-up on action items
• Improve efficiency and optimization of existing research operation through implementation of stage-gate process infrastructure
• Administrate and manage Cresilon grant, SBIR and other non-dilutive funding activities
• Lead the effort to publish research in peer-reviewed journals
• Develop and implement administrative tools to ensure success and ease of communication between research staff
• Develop test method capabilities to support R&D and production test requirements
• Validate current and future testing methodologies as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) on experimental design

  Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science & Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry, or related discipline
  • 10+ years of direct management experience required, with the ability to attract, assess, hire, develop, and manage engineers, scientists, and technicians, and influence, motivate, and drive technical rigor
  • 10+ years of experience in developing and utilizing polymer materials, chemistries, or other complex materials toward product/application development and their manufacture is required. Demonstrated success leading projects from early development through stage-gate milestones, regulatory submission, and commercial launch is required
  • Experience developing and commercializing these products in a highly regulated environment
  • Hands-on research experience with materials chemistry, polymers, adhesives, coatings, biomaterials, naturally-derived materials, and other complex systems, including the development of structure-property performance relationships in designing and characterizing these materials
  • Demonstrated experience in Project Management and Product Lifecycle Management practices, and the ability to lead multiple projects simultaneously
  • Strong project management skills and change management leadership skills are required
  • Strong problem-solving and analytical skills
  • Demonstrated ability to solve difficult technical problems and deliver practical solutions that meet the application requirements, along with a fundamental understanding of the chemistry that drives the performance required. This includes strong analytical, problem-solving and decision-making skills, with the ability to be observant and to think creatively
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to influence cross-functional and senior stakeholders
  • Track record of cross‑functional and cross-disciplinary collaboration with R&D, Manufacturing, Regulatory, Quality, and Commercial teams in fast-paced environments
  • Ability to identify and lead improvement initiatives, coach/train individuals, and stimulate innovation
  • Strong leadership and organizational skills with a strong attention to detail and multi-tasking skills while simultaneously keeping an overall "big picture" view of projects, priorities, and strategies
  • Experience working under pressure with tight timelines, with the ability to maintain a sense of priorities, focus, urgency, and delivery
  • Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint is required
  • Travel will be required, up to 20%, both domestic and international