Lead Scientist

Job Purpose

• To work on innovations that would enable the business to take a quantum leap through patented products and processes, and develop a portfolio of new investment opportunities for the business, that will strengthen the competitive positioning of the business.
• Contribute towards the Research & Development organization by developing business opportunities thereby delivering a competitive edge and differentiation for the business.
  
  

Job Context & Major Challenges

The Pulp and Fibre business of Aditya Birla Group is the global leader in Viscose Staple Fibre with a market share of 21% with a turnover of approximately US $ 2 billion. Fibre is manufactured in plants located in India, Indonesia, Thailand and China. The key raw material for fibre manufacturing, Dissolving Grade Pulp, is chiefly manufactured in house at plants in India, Canada and Sweden. Under a strategy of backward integration, the Business has also invested in Eucalyptus plantations in Lao PDR. The business produces more than 2000 metric tonnes of VSF per day. The fibre is sold in almost 63 countries under the brand name of Birla Cellulose. The key strengths of the business include a wide portfolio of products with regular and specialty fibres and strong cost leadership. In view of strong competition, and the business vision to be the Global Leader, a need was felt to further expand the Research & Development organization.

The R&D team is thus expected to work on innovations that would enable the business to take aquantum leap through patented products and processes, and develop a portfolio of new investment opportunities for the business, that will strengthen the competitive positioning of the business.

Major challenges of the job include-

• Managing interdepartmental interactions across multiple verticals functions (Marketing, Manufacturing, Business Units), and across multiple geographies.
• Working together across multiple technology groups both internal Pulp R&D, ABSTC, CTC, BRI, ABCFRC, and TRADC and external scientists/researchers representing vendors, Academic Institutes, Analytical and regulatory services.
• Building in a market focus for the innovation by creating marketable products and supporting customers technically and continually improve quality of existing product offerings.
• Ensuring that the business core strength of cost competitiveness is retained and built upon while enhancing the focus on innovation.
• Keeping abreast of the relevant scientific & technological developments
• Building a network of Raw material and equipment suppliers
  
  

Key Result Areas

KRA (Accountabilities) (Max 1325 Characters)Supporting Actions (Max 1325 Characters)

KRA1 New Process Development, troubleshooting 1. Develop thorough knowledge of state-of-the-art through literature search, patent surveys etc;

• Build experimental plan and execute small projects independently with minimal supervision; execute milestones within significant projects under supervision; perform sound data analysis, draw inference and communicate the analyses effectively
  
  

Solve project challenges using alternative approaches

Share updates within as well as outside the group;

• Coordinate FRC pilot trials as appropriate; lead scale-up trials as a hands-on executor, as well as trial coordinator
• Perform resource planning for assigned projects - alert project leaders for special requirements
• Use knowledge of fibre downstream to establish new value-added fibres at customer end
• Conduct & guide advanced fibre characterizations towards problem solving in new product development/customer complaint analysis
• Support customer/manufacturing issue resolution through characterization and analysis in short span of time.
  
  

KRA2 Compliance to safe lab. practices and continual improvement 1. Maintain and run PFIC equipment/instrument as designated owner; develop SOPs for new equipment, processes

• Participate/lead lab safety audits; Comply with SHE requirements;
• Highlight opportunities for lab capability enhancement; procure and install relevant hardware
• Participate in vendor trials, vendor audits, and vendor/equipment/technology assessment
• Develop knowledge and expertise in pulp & fiber processes, chemistries, equipment, technologies, etc. and assist in trouble shooting/root cause analysis
  
  

KRA3 Develop intellectual property Write technical reports, publications.

KRA4 Trouble shooting Root cause analysis include data analysis/lab evaluation/scale up and implementation

KRA5 Process & Product Development Generate & evaluate innovative ideas for product and process development

Identifying suitable partners in progressing process/product development activities if needed e.g. Tollers etc.

KRA6 Project planning, execution and scale

up activities Technical scoping, planning and execution of R&D projects.

Develop & execute experimental plans.

Supervise & troubleshoot scale-up trials.

Execute/coordinate activities for developing laboratory & pilot plant infrastructure.

Contribute to laboratory SHE programs.