R&D Product Development Manager, Emulsions

R&D Product Development Manager – Emulsions

Location: Fountain Inn, South Carolina

Compensation: $115,000–$130,000 annually, plus eligibility for an annual performance bonus

Are you a formulation scientist who enjoys turning innovative ideas into successful commercial products?

Shamrock Technologies is seeking an experienced R&D Product Development Manager – Emulsions to lead the development and optimization of emulsion-based products for coatings, inks, and related markets. This is a hands-on technical leadership role for someone who understands the science behind emulsions and can guide a product from initial concept through laboratory development, scale-up, and commercialization.

You will work closely with customers and teams throughout the organization to solve technical challenges, improve product performance, and develop solutions that deliver meaningful business value.

What You’ll Do

Product Development and Technical Leadership

• Lead product development projects from concept through commercialization.
• Develop and optimize emulsion formulations using surfactants, dispersants, rheology modifiers, and other performance additives.
• Plan and conduct laboratory experiments and pilot-scale trials.
• Support commercial scale-up, production trials, and new-product start-ups.
• Apply design of experiments, statistical analysis, and other analytical tools to improve product performance and manufacturability.
• Troubleshoot formulation, product-performance, and production issues using structured, data-driven methods.

Customer and Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with customers to understand their technical requirements and provide effective solutions and support.
• Serve as a key technical resource for Sales, Marketing, Product Management, Operations, Quality, and Production.
• Support root-cause investigations involving product or manufacturing concerns.
• Collaborate with manufacturing teams to optimize processes and improve product consistency.

Documentation, Compliance, and Costing

• Review and approve formulas, product specifications, manufacturing instructions, and related technical documentation.
• Ensure products and processes comply with applicable quality, safety, and SQF requirements.
• Perform product-cost analyses and provide technical input to support pricing recommendations.

What You’ll Bring: Must-Have Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Polymer Science, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Food Science, or a related scientific or engineering discipline.
• At least five years of industrial experience working with emulsions, dispersions, or colloidal systems.
• Strong expertise in surfactant chemistry, emulsion stabilization, formulation development, and manufacturing scale-up.
• Experience with pressure and atmospheric emulsion processes.
• Demonstrated success developing and commercializing new products.
• Experience troubleshooting formulations and manufacturing processes.
• Experience using design of experiments, statistical analysis, and structured product-development methods.
• Strong communication, leadership, project-management, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with customers, commercial teams, scientists, and manufacturing employees.

What You’ll Bring: Nice-to-Have Qualifications

• Master’s degree or Ph.D. in a related discipline.
• Experience in coatings, inks, adhesives, waxes, specialty chemicals, or a related industry.

Who Will Thrive in This Role

You are a creative, detail-oriented scientist and technical leader who enjoys both hands-on product development and cross-functional collaboration. You are comfortable taking ownership of complex projects, digging into data, and working through technical challenges.

You also understand that successful product development requires more than creating a strong formulation. It requires developing solutions that meet customer needs, can be manufactured safely and consistently, and provide value to the business.

Why Shamrock Technologies?

At Shamrock Technologies, you will be part of a team focused on innovation, continuous improvement, and operational excellence. Our modern facilities, investment in technology, and commitment to employee development create an environment where you can perform meaningful work, expand your expertise, and build a rewarding career.

If you are ready to apply your emulsions expertise to challenging projects and help bring innovative products from concept to commercialization, we would like to hear from you.

The anticipated salary range for this position is $115,000–$130,000 annually. The final compensation offered will be based on the selected candidate’s experience, qualifications, and relevant technical expertise.

Shamrock Technologies is an equal opportunity employer. We consider qualified applicants without regard to any legally protected characteristic.