Avient

Senior R&D Product Development Manager

Avient • $100K — $130K *
Sydney, FL 33587In-Person
Pharmaceuticals & Biotech
5 - 7 years of experience
Today
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Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Marketing, or similar; advanced degrees preferred.
  • 7+ years leading complex R&D programs, delivering multiple successful new products.
  • Proficient in Stage-Gate governance for R&D and commercialization processes.
  • Experienced in managing multi-million-dollar programs with strategic prioritization.
  • Strong understanding of materials science and engineering, especially for process optimization.
  • Demonstrated leadership ability in cross-functional team environments.
  • Excellent communication skills for diverse audiences.

Responsibilities

  • Lead multi-million-dollar R&D programs from concept through commercialization.
  • Advance high-value material projects aligned with growth objectives.
  • Collaborate with teams to enhance production capability and efficiency.
  • Act as the R&D liaison for customer accounts and external partnerships.
  • Deliver executive updates on program status and strategic insights.
  • Manage relationships with suppliers and research partners for innovation.
  • Streamline R&D processes to improve speed and scalability.

Benefits

  • Opportunity to lead significant R&D initiatives with commercial impact.
  • Work in a cross-functional role that fosters collaboration and innovation.
  • Engagement with key customers and partners in product development.
  • Professional development opportunities in project management and R&D methodologies.
Full Job Description
Job Description

The Senior R&D Product Development Manager leads multi-million-dollar programs from concept through commercialization, driving cross-functional integration and customer collaboration to accelerate material innovation. The role ensures strategic alignment of research initiatives with business growth objectives, balancing technical rigor with market impact across global teams and external partners.

Responsibilities

  • Program Leadership & Governance: Lead and govern multi-million-dollar R&D programs across global teams from concept through commercialization, ensuring compliance, risk mitigation, financial stewardship, and delivery of stage-gate milestones.
  • Innovation Pipeline & Portfolio Management: Prioritize and advance high-value material development projects aligned to strategic growth objectives; shape portfolio decisions and resource allocation based on business value and technical feasibility.
  • Cross-functional Integration: Collaborate with product development, engineering, manufacturing, and quality to accelerate scale-up, improve process capability, and optimize production efficiency. Leverage expertise and business background to execute deliverables to accelerate innovation and drive momentum.
  • Customer & Partner Collaboration: Serve as the primary R&D liaison for key customer accounts and external partners; drive joint development initiatives and oversee third-party laboratory trials (planning, raw material sourcing, and hands-on testing).
  • Stakeholder Engagement: Provide clear, executive-ready updates on program status, risks, and milestones; influence strategic decisions through data-driven insights.
  • Vendor & Partner Management: Build and manage relationships with suppliers, research institutions, and technology partners to enable innovation and de-risk development.
  • Continuous Improvement: Enhance R&D processes, tools, and ways of working to improve speed, efficiency, and scalability across programs.


Qualifications

Key Qualifications
  • Education: Bachelor's degree in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Marketing, or a related field (Master's or Ph.D. a plus).
  • Experience: 7+ years leading complex R&D programs from concept through commercialization, including experience in cross-functional integration and customer collaboration. Proven record of launching multiple successful new products.
  • Stage-Gate Expertise (Required): Demonstrated application of Stage-Gate governance in R&D and commercialization, including planning, gate readiness, and milestone delivery.
  • Program Management Skills: Ability to manage multi-million-dollar programs with strong governance, risk mitigation, financial acumen, and strategic prioritization.
  • Technical Acumen: Strong understanding of material science and engineering principles, including scale-up and process optimization for commercialization.
  • Leadership: Proven leadership and team management experience, with the ability to inspire, influence, and motivate cross-functional and geographically dispersed teams.
  • Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex information clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
  • Customer & Partner Engagement: Proven ability to build and maintain strategic relationships with key customers and external partners to drive joint development initiatives.
  • Problem-Solving: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to anticipate and resolve challenges in a dynamic research environment.
  • Software Proficiency: Proficiency in project management and collaboration tools (MS Office, Teams) and data analysis platforms (Excel, Tableau, Sigma) for informed decision-making.


Preferred Qualifications
  • PMP or similar project management certification.
  • Experience with Agile methodologies in R&D settings.
  • Extensive experience with new product commercialization.
  • Knowledge and experience driving projects using the Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) methodology.
  • Experience leveraging digital tools and data analytics to optimize R&D processes and portfolio decisions.


About Avient

Avient Corporation is a leading provider of specialized polymer materials, services, and solutions. The company operates in more than 50 countries and serves a wide range of industries, including packaging, healthcare, transportation, electronics, and construction. Avient's product portfolio includes thermoplastic elastomers, color and additive concentrates, specialty compounds, and more. The company was founded in 1888 and is headquartered in Avon Lake, Ohio.
Learn more about Avient
Size
8,700 employees
Market Cap
$3 billion
Industry
Manufacturing & Automotive
Net Income
$131.6 million
5 Year Trend
+10.4%
Revenue
$3.2 billion
NASDAQ
AVNT
* Ladders Estimates

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