Director of Research & Development - Polyester Films Division

Company:

Mitsubishi Films America (MFA) Greer, SC

Job Description:

Director, Research & Development – Polyester Films Division

Location: Greer, SC

Position Overview

Mitsubishi Polyester Film is seeking an experienced Director of Research & Development to lead our R&D, New Product Development, and Marketing Technical Service activities in Greer, SC. Leading approximately seven to eight technical professionals, this director will combine people leadership with customer engagement, product development, and support for business growth.

The Director will establish clear priorities, develop employees, and connect technical capabilities with customer and market needs. Working closely with senior leadership and Sales & Marketing, this person will help strengthen the new business development process and guide products through development, manufacturing scale-up, customer qualification, and commercialization.

As a member of the senior management team, the Director will contribute to business and operational decisions and partner with Manufacturing, Quality, Product Regulatory, Customer Service, and Mitsubishi’s global technology organization. Collaboration with R&D and Marketing Technical Service colleagues in Germany and Japan is a significant part of the role.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop approximately seven to eight R&D and Marketing Technical Service professionals, including recruiting, training, performance management, succession planning, and day-to-day team leadership.
• Communicate business priorities and expectations clearly, address employee concerns, and ensure the team’s technical needs and recommendations are represented to senior leadership.
• Direct Marketing Technical Service activities, partnering with Sales & Marketing and customers to understand application requirements, resolve technical challenges, and identify opportunities for product development and business growth.
• Partner with senior management to improve the new business development process and focus technical capabilities on opportunities with clear customer and commercial value.
• Establish technical strategy and development priorities. Manage the project portfolio and allocate resources based on strategic importance, customer need, technical feasibility, and commercial potential.
• Direct polyester film product development from concept through laboratory and pilot trials, manufacturing scale-up, customer qualification, and commercialization.
• Engage with strategic customers, support technical capabilities presentations, and serve as a senior technical resource for significant development opportunities and complex application issues.
• Provide technical leadership for manufacturing, product-quality, and customer-application challenges using disciplined experimentation, root-cause analysis, and data-driven problem-solving.
• Oversee R&D laboratory and pilot-line activities, including technical capabilities, operating priorities, development trials, and capital requirements.
• Prepare and manage the annual R&D Department and Pilot Line budget and provide management reporting on development priorities, project progress, and resource needs.
• Manage the site’s intellectual-property portfolio and support coordination of international polyester-film intellectual property.
• Collaborate with global R&D and Marketing Technical Service teams to share expertise, coordinate technical programs, and support technology transfer.
• Participate in senior management and site leadership activities, contributing technical and customer perspectives to business strategy, operational priorities, and safety discussions.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Polymer Science, Chemistry, or a related technical discipline.
• Significant industrial experience in R&D, product development, application development, Marketing Technical Service, or a related technical field.
• Demonstrated success directly managing and developing technical professionals, including coaching, performance management, and establishing team priorities.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary technical programs and developing and commercializing technically complex products in a manufacturing environment.
• Ability to translate customer and market needs into actionable technical programs and communicate effectively with customers, commercial teams, and manufacturing colleagues.
• Strong analytical, technical problem-solving, project-management, and communication skills.
• Ability to learn complex technologies, manufacturing processes, and internal information systems quickly and apply that knowledge to technical and business decisions.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a polymer-focused manufacturing environment.
• Experience with polyester/PET film, polymer processing, biaxially oriented films, extrusion, coatings, surface modification, packaging films, or related polymer technologies.
• MS or PhD in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Polymer Science, Chemistry, or a related discipline.
• Experience leading customer-facing technical service or application development activities and supporting new business development.
• Experience managing intellectual property and collaborating within a global technology organization.

The starting salary range for this position is $140,000-$180,000. Factors such as scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience, education/training, job-related skills, internal peer equity, as well as market and business considerations may influence base pay offered. This salary will be subject to a geographic adjustment (according to a specific city and state), if an authorization is granted to work outside of the location listed in this posting.