R&D Manager

Morton Salt is an iconic company with a strong heritage and a bright future. Since 1848, we have been improving lives and enhancing everyday moments – at home, at work and virtually everywhere in between. We help unlock the flavors in food, make roads and sidewalks safer, improve the water in baths, pools, and homes, and keep businesses and industries running. We are a dedicated team who constantly strives to do better together, and we are passionate about building a sustainable future for our company, the communities in which we operate, and the world around us. By joining our team, you will contribute to producing and delivering every form of salt that enhances everyday life.

Job Summary

The entry level R&D Manager position is an experienced R&D individual contributor that balances ≥50% of their time overseeing all activities in the R&D function where the group size is 4-5 FTE’s and with a budget ≤ $3M. Responsibilities including management of the R&D project portfolio, employee management, and administrative duties. The remaining balance of time is used to continue to directly work, support and create value within the R&D function.

Management of the R&D project portfolio includes accurate documents and reporting and management of R&D resources for projects and technical support requests. The R&D manager also ensures R&D projects are being properly managed and delivering on tasks/scope, costs, and timelines and if support is required, the R&D manager works to remove barriers and/or sources the necessary support to projects to give the best chance for success. The R&D manager will be directly accountable for R&D functional goals and metric defined annually.

Employee management encompasses talent management of direct reports in the function, including employee development, performance management, compensation decisions, engagement, recognition, office culture, and if necessary, discipline. The R&D manager is expected to have regular communication cadence (1:1 discussions) and awareness on employee matters or issues.

Administrative duties include being responsible for ensuring the R&D function maintains adherence and reporting with HR, EHS/OSHA/Fire and other corporate policies and procedures, and any applicable local/state/county/federal rules. Responsibilities also include site management of the office location (Elgin, IL), including lease/property management and relationship, purchasing of necessary equipment or materials, and management of open PO’s and timely payments on billings/invoices. The R&D manager is expected to help with annual SG&A budgeting and managing spending within R&D budget.

The R&D manager will use remaining time capacity to continue to provide support to the business in the way of execution of technical work including being part of project teams and supporting projects. The R&D manager will also use a portion of time to address technical support requests and work with cross-functional stakeholders including operations, quality, procurement, sales, marketing, innovation or business leadership as needed, acting as a technical advisory resource. Technical work will predominantly include analytical/laboratory work, diagnostics/troubleshooting, process/product development, process/product testing and customer technical support. Career path development within the role includes development into an advanced R&D leader with R&D incubation or customer focused innovation including product/process creation, intellectual capital management and patent inventorship, identification/scouting on emerging sciences and disruptive technologies, and engagement/collaboration with startups, universities/government, corporate partnerships or with an external innovation nexus or hub.

Duties And Responsibilities

• Management level oversight of the R&D function for Morton Salt, Inc. including oversight of R&D work activities performed at Elgin, IL and providing guidance to R&D employees.
• Responsible for execution of tagged work with R&D projects and technical supports efforts.
• Accountable for meeting R&D functional goals and metrics and successful execution of projects and technical support work on the R&D project portfolio.
• Accountable for maintenance, retention, and security of R&D documentation and files.
• Accountable for employee hiring, talent development, engagement, and talent management/performance management with the R&D staff.
• Accountable for ensuring R&D is following EHS, OSHA, and other relevant regulatory/analytical laboratory/food lab compliance, including chemical inventory and waste management.
• Assists with annual budgeting, responsible for spending within budget, R&D reporting for US Census and Federal tax credits, and accountable for ensuring PO’s, billing, and invoices are maintained for R&D.
  
  
  

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

• BS in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering or related discipline.
• Must have ≥ 12 years’ direct experience within research and development.
• Must have ≥ 5 total years’ experience with work activities in a wet laboratory and/or analytical laboratory.
• Must have ≥ 7 total years’ experience collaborating with quality and/or operations/manufacturing.
• Must have ≥ 5 total years’ experience collaborating with sales and marketing and/or customer technical support.
• Must have demonstrated experience with product design/improvement.
• Must have demonstrated experience with process design/improvement.
• Must have demonstrated strong communication, management, presentation, and leadership skills.
• Safety mindset/champion, including environmental and people/employee safety.
• Basic knowledge with inorganic chemistry and process/computational engineering or modelling preferred.
• Basic experience with managing people preferred.
  
  
  

Work Environment

• Office and Lab environment with travel to plant and/or vendor locations as needed.
• Reasonable flexible work accommodations possible.
  
  
  

At Morton Salt, we work best when we work as a team, when we treat one another with dignity and respect, and value the unique contributions of others. We are committed to equal employment opportunity and prohibit discrimination and harassment based on race, national origin, sex, religion, color, disability, marital status, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by law.