General Manager - R&D - Paints & Coatings

Job Description - Group General Manager - R&D | Paints & Coatings

Position: Group General Manager - R&D

Industry: Paints & Coatings

Location: East Africa

Experience: 17 - 18+ Years

Function: Research & Development / Technical

Level: Senior Group Leadership

Position Overview:

We are looking for an accomplished and dynamic Group General Manager - R&D to lead the Research & Development and Technical function for a leading Paints & Coatings organization in East Africa.

The incumbent will be responsible for developing and executing the Group-wide R&D strategy, driving innovation and new product development, strengthening technical capabilities, optimizing formulations and costs, and ensuring successful technology transfer across multiple manufacturing locations and countries.

This is a strategic Group-level leadership role requiring a strong combination of technical expertise, commercial orientation, innovation mindset, and people leadership.

The ideal candidate should have extensive experience in the Paints & Coatings industry, with strong exposure to Decorative Paints, Automotive Coatings, and Wood Coatings, along with a proven track record of managing R&D teams and delivering business-oriented technical solutions.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Group R&D Strategy & Leadership:

- Develop and implement the overall R&D and technical strategy aligned with the Group's business objectives.

- Establish the R&D roadmap for multiple countries and business segments.

- Identify emerging technologies, raw materials, processes, and market trends relevant to the paints and coatings industry.

- Build a strong culture of innovation, technical excellence, speed-to-market, and continuous improvement.

- Provide technical leadership and strategic direction to R&D teams across different geographies.

2. New Product Development & Innovation:

- Lead the development and commercialization of new products, formulations, and technologies across Decorative, Automotive, and Wood Coatings.

- Drive the complete NPD cycle from concept development and laboratory trials to scale-up, validation, commercialization, and technology transfer.

- Develop differentiated products based on customer requirements, market trends, performance specifications, and regulatory requirements.

- Accelerate product development timelines while maintaining quality, performance, and cost objectives.

- Build a robust pipeline of innovative products and technologies for future growth.

3. Formulation & Technical Excellence:

- Provide technical direction on formulation development, raw material selection, performance optimization, and troubleshooting.

- Ensure formulations deliver the required balance of quality, performance, cost, sustainability, and manufacturability.

- Develop and implement best practices in formulation development and laboratory processes.

- Support resolution of complex technical and product-performance issues.

4. Cost Optimization & Margin Improvement:

- Lead initiatives for formulation cost optimization without compromising product quality or performance.

- Identify alternative raw materials, suppliers, technologies, and processes to improve cost competitiveness.

- Work closely with Procurement, Manufacturing, Quality, and Commercial teams to improve product margins.

- Drive value engineering and product rationalization initiatives across the Group.

5. Technology Transfer & Manufacturing Support:

- Lead successful transfer of products and technologies from R&D laboratories to manufacturing plants across different countries.

- Establish standardized technology-transfer protocols and technical documentation.

- Work closely with Manufacturing and Quality teams during plant trials, scale-up, and commercialization.

- Ensure consistency of formulations and product performance across multiple manufacturing locations.

6. Multi-Geography R&D Management:

- Lead and coordinate R&D activities across multiple countries and manufacturing locations.

- Standardize technical processes, testing methods, formulation practices, and R&D systems across the Group.

- Leverage technical knowledge and best practices across different markets.

- Understand local market requirements while maintaining Group-wide technical standards.

7. Team Leadership & Capability Building:

- Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of R&D scientists, formulation specialists, technical managers, and laboratory teams.

- Build succession plans and develop future technical leaders within the organization.

- Establish clear KPIs and performance-management systems for the R&D function.

- Promote collaboration between R&D, Manufacturing, Quality, Sales, Marketing, Procurement, and Supply Chain.

- Build a strong technical knowledge-sharing culture across countries.

8. Commercial & Cross-Functional Collaboration:

- Partner closely with Sales, Marketing, Manufacturing, Procurement, Quality, and Business Leadership to translate market needs into technical solutions.

- Provide technical inputs for product positioning, customer requirements, product costing, and market launches.

- Support key customers and commercial teams on complex technical requirements where required.

- Ensure R&D projects are commercially viable and aligned with business priorities.

9. Quality, Compliance & Sustainability:

- Ensure products and formulations comply with applicable quality, safety, environmental, and regulatory standards across relevant markets.

- Drive initiatives related to low-VOC, environmentally friendly, sustainable, and compliant coatings where commercially relevant.

- Keep the organization updated on changing regulations, raw-material developments, and industry standards.

- Work with Quality and Regulatory teams to ensure smooth product approvals and commercialization.

10. Strategic Technology & External Partnerships:

- Identify opportunities for technology partnerships, technical collaborations, licensing, and external innovation.

- Maintain strong relationships with raw-material suppliers, technology providers, laboratories, research institutions, and industry experts.

- Evaluate new technologies and determine their potential application within the Group.

- Represent the organization in relevant technical forums, industry events, and professional networks.

Candidate Profile:

The ideal candidate should possess:

- 17 - 18+ years of relevant experience in Paints & Coatings R&D, Technical, or Product Development.

- Strong technical exposure to Decorative Paints, Automotive Coatings, and Wood Coatings.

- Proven experience in leading large or multi-location R&D/Technical teams.

- Strong understanding of formulation chemistry, raw materials, application technologies, testing, scale-up, and commercialization.

- Demonstrated experience in New Product Development, innovation, cost optimization, and technology transfer.

- Experience of working across multiple countries/geographies will be highly preferred.

- Strong commercial understanding and ability to link R&D initiatives with revenue growth, profitability, and market competitiveness.

- Excellent stakeholder-management, communication, negotiation, and leadership skills.

- Strong strategic thinking combined with hands-on technical problem-solving capability.

- Ability to operate effectively in a multicultural and international business environment.