PPG Industries, Inc
Associate Director - Science & Technology, Aerospace - Transparencies
PPG Industries, Inc, Los Angeles, California, United States, 90079
Overview
Associate Director - Science & Technology, Aerospace - Transparencies
| PPG Industries | Sylmar, California Reporting to: General Manager, Aerospace - Transparencies. The Aerospace - Transparencies business operates across four manufacturing locations with a presence in all geographic regions and supporting all markets (Commercial, General Aviation and Military). The Associate Director will lead a global technology team of approximately 40 professionals across organic, inorganic, urethane, and polymer groups, with material labs in Huntsville, Sylmar, and Texas. This role focuses on developing and deploying an effective technology strategy for the Aerospace - Transparencies business, driving the creation of an Aerospace sub-Strategic Business Unit (SBU) with an FAA/EASA-regulated mindset. With intense growth and increasing competition, product and parts development, technology, and technical service leadership are critical drivers for growth. Functional excellence across all aspects of the global Aerospace - Transparencies technical organization (e.g., advantaged products, robust product launches, complexity reduction, and Six Sigma quality) is an increasingly important contributor to achieving profitable sales growth. The performance of the Associate Director and their team will be critical to the long-term success of the business. As a key member of the Global Aerospace - Transparencies leadership team, this role will drive technology investments, business model changes, go-to-market strategies, intellectual property strategies, and both organic and inorganic growth strategies, while sponsoring and advocating for programs to secure stakeholder alignment. Key Responsibilities
Participate as a member of the Aerospace - Transparencies Global Leadership team to set policies and strategies for operations through leadership team meetings, the long-range planning process (LRP), Business Strategy Review (BSR) processes, and the business alignment matrix. Direct and manage compliance with PPG Blueprint objectives, the PPG P&L process, PPG corporate EHS policy, PPG Intellectual Property (IP) policies, PPG Quality policy, PPG Business Conduct policies, PPG Code of Ethics, Responsible Care, EEO accountabilities, FAA regulations, and customer quality programs. Provide leadership in organic, inorganic, materials, and product development activities, developing and implementing new research and/or product development programs and scale-up activities for the Aerospace - Transparencies industry. Lead global experts to provide the vision, direction, and clarity of execution required by the business BSR plan to deliver cost-effective strategies that enable stability in profit contributions. Coordinate and integrate Aerospace - Transparencies development activities and Product Management directives with all technical strategies to ensure alignment with ongoing market trends and profitability targets. Support Sales and Business Development Managers and sales/service organizations on product acceptance and market needs to ensure customer satisfaction, effective technology development, and appropriate pricing strategies. Partner with global R&D colleagues and leverage technical expertise across PPG to benefit multiple PPG market applications. Lead the PPG Way by building diverse and inclusive workplaces that attract and retain talented individuals seeking rewarding long-term careers in the coatings industry. Foster collaboration to eliminate silos between technical teams and plant operations, ensuring seamless communication and alignment across functions. Candidate Profile
Master's degree (PhD strongly preferred) in Materials Science or Polymers; metals-focused backgrounds are not preferred. Minimum 20 years in progressively senior technical leadership roles with proven leadership, technical achievements, business/financial practices, and people management. Role requires 80% leadership focus and 20–30% technical expertise in chemical materials, with proficiency in S&T best practices, including Engineering Sales & Operations Planning (eS&OP), program management, and engineering development processes. Desirable: advanced materials research, coatings, transparent polymers, conductive transparent films, analytical techniques, materials characterization, surface analysis, and solving manufacturing root causes. Strong communication skills; ability to work across customers, employees, operators, and management. Peer-reviewed publications, grant writing, Lean/Six Sigma tools, and manufacturing site experience are highly desirable. A passion for profitable technical innovation, team-building, and driving success is essential, with a track record of project execution. Experience creating a vision, leading a large team, and interfacing with all organizational levels; experience in matrixed organizations and managing product stewardship in a global market. Proven ability to manage complex projects and capital projects, motivate and develop others, and drive growth in a multi-disciplinary materials team. Value placed on cross-functional collaboration and supplier interaction. Attributes and Competencies
Understanding the Business : Knows the business and the critical technical and functional skills required. Demonstrates business acumen and critical-thinking to align technology with business strategy. Customer-Centric : Understands customer issues and drives value via technology investments with disciplined risk/return criteria. Leading Teams and Inspiring : Builds and leads high-performing teams, communicates a compelling vision, and fosters innovation and professional growth. Building Relationships and Being Organizationally Savvy : Navigates across boundaries, aligns people and ideas, and maintains high ethical standards and integrity. About us: Here at PPG we make it happen, and we seek candidates of the highest integrity and professionalism who share our values, with the commitment and drive to strive today to do better than yesterday - everyday. PPG: WE PROTECT AND BEAUTIFY THE WORLD Through leadership in innovation, sustainability and color, PPG helps customers in industrial, transportation, consumer products, and construction markets and aftermarkets to enhance more surfaces in more ways than does any other company. To learn more, visit www.ppg.com and follow @PPG on Twitter. The PPG Way Every single day at PPG: We partner with customers to create mutual value. We are "One PPG" to the world. We trust our people every day, in every way. We make it happen. We run it like we own it. We do better today than yesterday - everyday. PPG provides equal opportunity to all candidates and employees. We offer an opportunity to grow and develop your career in an environment that provides a fulfilling workplace for employees, creates an environment for continuous learning, and embraces the ideas and diversity of others. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, pregnancy, race, color, creed, religion, national origin, age, disability status, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. If you need assistance to complete your application due to a disability, please email recruiting@ppg.com.
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Associate Director - Science & Technology, Aerospace - Transparencies
| PPG Industries | Sylmar, California Reporting to: General Manager, Aerospace - Transparencies. The Aerospace - Transparencies business operates across four manufacturing locations with a presence in all geographic regions and supporting all markets (Commercial, General Aviation and Military). The Associate Director will lead a global technology team of approximately 40 professionals across organic, inorganic, urethane, and polymer groups, with material labs in Huntsville, Sylmar, and Texas. This role focuses on developing and deploying an effective technology strategy for the Aerospace - Transparencies business, driving the creation of an Aerospace sub-Strategic Business Unit (SBU) with an FAA/EASA-regulated mindset. With intense growth and increasing competition, product and parts development, technology, and technical service leadership are critical drivers for growth. Functional excellence across all aspects of the global Aerospace - Transparencies technical organization (e.g., advantaged products, robust product launches, complexity reduction, and Six Sigma quality) is an increasingly important contributor to achieving profitable sales growth. The performance of the Associate Director and their team will be critical to the long-term success of the business. As a key member of the Global Aerospace - Transparencies leadership team, this role will drive technology investments, business model changes, go-to-market strategies, intellectual property strategies, and both organic and inorganic growth strategies, while sponsoring and advocating for programs to secure stakeholder alignment. Key Responsibilities
Participate as a member of the Aerospace - Transparencies Global Leadership team to set policies and strategies for operations through leadership team meetings, the long-range planning process (LRP), Business Strategy Review (BSR) processes, and the business alignment matrix. Direct and manage compliance with PPG Blueprint objectives, the PPG P&L process, PPG corporate EHS policy, PPG Intellectual Property (IP) policies, PPG Quality policy, PPG Business Conduct policies, PPG Code of Ethics, Responsible Care, EEO accountabilities, FAA regulations, and customer quality programs. Provide leadership in organic, inorganic, materials, and product development activities, developing and implementing new research and/or product development programs and scale-up activities for the Aerospace - Transparencies industry. Lead global experts to provide the vision, direction, and clarity of execution required by the business BSR plan to deliver cost-effective strategies that enable stability in profit contributions. Coordinate and integrate Aerospace - Transparencies development activities and Product Management directives with all technical strategies to ensure alignment with ongoing market trends and profitability targets. Support Sales and Business Development Managers and sales/service organizations on product acceptance and market needs to ensure customer satisfaction, effective technology development, and appropriate pricing strategies. Partner with global R&D colleagues and leverage technical expertise across PPG to benefit multiple PPG market applications. Lead the PPG Way by building diverse and inclusive workplaces that attract and retain talented individuals seeking rewarding long-term careers in the coatings industry. Foster collaboration to eliminate silos between technical teams and plant operations, ensuring seamless communication and alignment across functions. Candidate Profile
Master's degree (PhD strongly preferred) in Materials Science or Polymers; metals-focused backgrounds are not preferred. Minimum 20 years in progressively senior technical leadership roles with proven leadership, technical achievements, business/financial practices, and people management. Role requires 80% leadership focus and 20–30% technical expertise in chemical materials, with proficiency in S&T best practices, including Engineering Sales & Operations Planning (eS&OP), program management, and engineering development processes. Desirable: advanced materials research, coatings, transparent polymers, conductive transparent films, analytical techniques, materials characterization, surface analysis, and solving manufacturing root causes. Strong communication skills; ability to work across customers, employees, operators, and management. Peer-reviewed publications, grant writing, Lean/Six Sigma tools, and manufacturing site experience are highly desirable. A passion for profitable technical innovation, team-building, and driving success is essential, with a track record of project execution. Experience creating a vision, leading a large team, and interfacing with all organizational levels; experience in matrixed organizations and managing product stewardship in a global market. Proven ability to manage complex projects and capital projects, motivate and develop others, and drive growth in a multi-disciplinary materials team. Value placed on cross-functional collaboration and supplier interaction. Attributes and Competencies
Understanding the Business : Knows the business and the critical technical and functional skills required. Demonstrates business acumen and critical-thinking to align technology with business strategy. Customer-Centric : Understands customer issues and drives value via technology investments with disciplined risk/return criteria. Leading Teams and Inspiring : Builds and leads high-performing teams, communicates a compelling vision, and fosters innovation and professional growth. Building Relationships and Being Organizationally Savvy : Navigates across boundaries, aligns people and ideas, and maintains high ethical standards and integrity. About us: Here at PPG we make it happen, and we seek candidates of the highest integrity and professionalism who share our values, with the commitment and drive to strive today to do better than yesterday - everyday. PPG: WE PROTECT AND BEAUTIFY THE WORLD Through leadership in innovation, sustainability and color, PPG helps customers in industrial, transportation, consumer products, and construction markets and aftermarkets to enhance more surfaces in more ways than does any other company. To learn more, visit www.ppg.com and follow @PPG on Twitter. The PPG Way Every single day at PPG: We partner with customers to create mutual value. We are "One PPG" to the world. We trust our people every day, in every way. We make it happen. We run it like we own it. We do better today than yesterday - everyday. PPG provides equal opportunity to all candidates and employees. We offer an opportunity to grow and develop your career in an environment that provides a fulfilling workplace for employees, creates an environment for continuous learning, and embraces the ideas and diversity of others. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, pregnancy, race, color, creed, religion, national origin, age, disability status, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. If you need assistance to complete your application due to a disability, please email recruiting@ppg.com.
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