The Global Ion Exchange Resins (IER) R&D Manager is a senior technical leadership role responsible for leading the global R&D organization supporting a ~$600MM business segment within DuPont Water Solutions. The IER business is a global technology leader, serving diverse markets across Industrial, Municipal, and Life Sciences & Specialties.
This role is accountable for driving above-market growth through accelerated commercialization of strategic innovation programs, while advancing manufacturing productivity and risk mitigation initiatives. The leader will shape the next generation of separation technologies, including emerging applications in resource recovery and new energy solutions, leveraging a best-in-class product portfolio.
Reporting to the Global Technology Director, this position is a key member of the Water Solutions Technology leadership team and plays a critical role in defining and executing the business’s innovation agenda.
Key Responsibilities
- Set Innovation Strategy: Define and execute global technology and innovation strategies aligned with business growth priorities and market opportunities.
- Lead a Global Organization: Build, lead, and develop a high-performing global team of 25+ scientists and engineers, strengthening technical depth and capability.
- Drive End-to-End Innovation: Partner across commercial, marketing, product management, and manufacturing to deliver innovation from market insight through commercialization.
- Own Portfolio & Investment Decisions: Lead portfolio prioritization, resource allocation, and investment decisions to maximize business impact.
- Enable Operational Excellence: Drive R&D productivity through disciplined processes, data-driven decision-making, and digital transformation.
- Represent DuPont Externally: Serve as a technical ambassador in key customer engagements, partnerships, and industry forums to enhance market influence.
Success Measures
- Build and deliver a multi-year innovation roadmap aligned to strategic growth platforms and accelerate high-impact programs to support above-market growth.
- Strengthen global R&D and technical capabilities through strategic lab infrastructure development and proactive talent pipeline planning
- Expand external partnerships with customers, universities, and value chain collaborators to drive innovation and differentiation.
Qualifications
- M.S. or Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Biology, or related discipline.
- Demonstrated strategic and conceptual capability to translate innovation into measurable business results.
- 10+ years of experience in product or application development, including functional polymers, ion exchange materials, or liquid separation technologies, with proven success in scale-up and commercialization.
- 5+ years of leadership experience, with a track record of building and leading teams in a global, matrixed environment.
- Proven ability to prioritize and execute against multiple, competing strategic objectives.
- Strong sense of urgency with the ability to manage priorities and deliver commitments in a fast-paced environment.
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear business insights that align global stakeholders and accelerate innovation.
- Water industry experience is strongly preferred
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