R&D Leader - Healthcare Advanced Materials

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DuPont™ Healthcare Solutions is seeking an R&D Leader – Healthcare Advanced Materials based in Midland, MI, to lead the R&D team responsible for new product and process development across the Liveo™ North America Advanced Materials portfolio.

In this role, you will provide both technical and people leadership across the innovation lifecycle, guiding new product and process development from proof of concept through scale-up and commercialization. You will collaborate closely with customers and cross-functional teams to translate market and application needs into differentiated material solutions and scalable technologies that drive sustainable business growth.

This is an opportunity for an experienced technology leader to shape the future of the Liveo™ Advanced Materials portfolio, strengthen R&D capabilities, accelerate innovation, and build a high-performing team serving the healthcare and life sciences markets.

What You'll Do

• Lead, develop, and inspire the R&D organization responsible for new product and process innovation, from opportunity definition and proof of concept through development, validation, scale-up, technology transfer, and commercialization of Liveo™ Advanced Materials.
• Drive disciplined new product development through DuPont's New Product Commercialization Framework (NPCF), ensuring technical rigor, clear Stage-Gate deliverables, proactive risk management, timely decisions, and strong execution accountability to accelerate commercialization.
• Lead product and platform renewal initiatives and drive alternate raw material identification and qualification programs to ensure business continuity, protect the core portfolio, and strengthen supply chain resilience.
• Build and strengthen a high-value innovation pipeline by translating market trends, customer needs, and business growth priorities into differentiated products, processes, and technology platforms.
• Develop and execute R&D strategies, technology roadmaps, and intellectual property strategies aligned with business priorities, portfolio needs, and long-term growth opportunities.
• Harness digital, AI, data science, and advanced analytics capabilities to accelerate innovation, improve technical decision-making, and increase R&D productivity.
• Advance critical R&D capabilities in materials synthesis, process development, rapid prototyping, pilot-scale development, scale-up, and emerging technologies needed to deliver the future innovation pipeline.
• Set R&D portfolio priorities and manage budgets and resources to focus technical investment on the highest-value innovation and growth opportunities.
• Partner cross-functionally with Commercial, Marketing, Manufacturing, Engineering, Quality, Regulatory, Product Stewardship, and Supply Chain to align priorities and enable successful scale-up, technology transfer, and commercialization.
• Engage strategically with key customers and external technology partners to identify unmet needs, understand emerging technology requirements, and shape future innovation opportunities.
• Build a high-performance R&D culture grounded in scientific excellence, safety, inclusion, collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Develop the next generation of R&D talent by strengthening technical depth, leadership capability, succession readiness, and career development across the organization.

Required Qualifications

• Advanced degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) in Materials Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Proven track record of delivering impactful R&D results and successfully commercializing new products or technologies that drive revenue growth and business value.
• Demonstrated R&D experience in new product and process development, scale-up, technology transfer, and commercialization of polymeric materials, advanced materials, or related technologies.
• Prior people leadership experience, with demonstrated success building, coaching, and developing high-performing technical teams.
• Demonstrated experience building and managing innovation pipelines, prioritizing technical programs, and allocating resources across multiple development initiatives.
• Experience developing and executing R&D strategies, technology roadmaps, intellectual property strategies, and technical capability-building plans.
• Demonstrated experience engaging directly with customers to understand unmet needs and translate those insights into differentiated products, technologies, and innovation opportunities.
• Experience with Stage-Gate or comparable new product development processes, including disciplined project execution, technical risk management, and portfolio prioritization.
• Experience using digital tools, AI, data science, automation, or advanced analytics to accelerate R&D, experimentation, and technical decision-making.
• Strong cross-functional leadership, communication, and influencing skills, with the ability to work effectively across Commercial, Marketing, Manufacturing, Engineering, Quality, Regulatory, Product Stewardship, and Supply Chain.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience developing and commercializing silicone, polymeric, or advanced materials for healthcare applications.

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