Position

Deputy General Manager / General Manager – R&D;

Function

Research & Development – Ion Exchange Resins, Speciality Chemicals & Advanced Polymer Products

Reporting To

Chief Technology Officer / Business Head

Location: Patancheru

1. Job Purpose To lead and drive the organization's Research & Development function for Ion Exchange Resins, Speciality Chemicals and Advanced Polymer Products, with overall responsibility for product innovation, application development, process improvement, technology development, scale-up and successful commercialization.

The incumbent will provide strategic and technical leadership to R&D; laboratories and scientists, develop new chemical and polymer technologies, strengthen the organization's product portfolio, and accelerate innovation in alignment with business strategy and market requirements.

The role will also be responsible for building strong technical interfaces with Production, Quality, Marketing, Sales, Application Engineering and Customers to ensure successful technology transfer, product commercialization, field validation and resolution of complex technical issues.

2. Key Responsibilities & Accountabilities

A. R&D; Strategy & Innovation

- Develop and implement the R&D; strategy for Ion Exchange Resins, Specialty Chemicals, Polymers and related advanced materials in line with the organization's business objectives.
- Identify emerging technologies, market trends, customer needs and competitive developments to build a robust pipeline of new products and applications.
- Lead and promote innovation initiatives involving new chemistries, polymer architectures, formulations, processes and applications.
- Identify and evaluate new chemical pathways, raw materials, technologies and scientific approaches for development of differentiated products.
- Establish a structured product development pipeline covering concept, laboratory development, validation, pilot scale-up, commercialization and post-launch improvement.
- Drive intellectual property generation, technical know-how and technology differentiation wherever applicable.

B. Product & Process Development

- Lead the development of new and improved:
- Strong and weak acid ion exchange resins, Strong and weak base ion exchange resins
- Polymeric adsorbents and porous polymers, Catalyst resins
- Pharma-grade and specialty-grade resins, Polymer dispersants
- Flocculants and polyelectrolytes, Antiscalants and green polymer inhibitors
- Emulsion polymers and specialty polymers, Paper chemicals, including sizing and wet/dry strength resins
- Defoamers and other specialty chemical products
- Lead product formulation, customization and optimization based on customer and application requirements.
- Drive process improvement initiatives to improve product quality, yield, productivity, cost competitiveness and consistency.
- Establish appropriate laboratory and pilot-scale procedures for synthesis, modification, formulation and evaluation of new products.
- Lead scale-up activities from laboratory to pilot and commercial production in close coordination with Production and Process Engineering teams.
- Ensure that R&D; projects are delivered within agreed scope, timelines, quality and cost parameters.

C. Ion Exchange Resin & Application Development

- Provide technical leadership in the development and application of ion exchange and adsorbent technologies.
- Develop new applications for IEX resins in areas including:
- Water and wastewater treatment, Demineralization and deionization
- Process separations and purification, Chromatographic applications
- Advanced catalysis, Pharmaceutical and specialty applications
- Recovery and purification of valuable chemicals/materials
- Develop application solutions for specialty polymers and chemicals in:
- Water treatment
- Cooling and boiler water treatment
- Petrochemical/refinery applications, Textile, Ceramic,
- ETP/wastewater treatment
- Other allied process industries, Paper and pulp

- Provide technical support for complex customer application problems and develop appropriate resin/chemical solutions.
- Lead field trials, customer evaluations and application validation for newly developed products.

D. Competitive Benchmarking & Technology Intelligence

- Conduct systematic competitive benchmarking of products, technologies, performance characteristics and application capabilities.
- Evaluate competitor products through analytical, physical, chemical and application-performance testing.
- Identify gaps in the existing product portfolio and recommend new product development opportunities.
- Track advances in polymer chemistry, ion exchange technology, specialty chemicals, water treatment and related fields.
- Translate technology and market intelligence into actionable R&D; programs.

E. Raw Material & Product Evaluation

- Direct the evaluation and qualification of new raw materials and alternate raw material sources.
- Establish specifications and acceptance criteria for critical raw materials and finished products.
- Direct comprehensive product performance evaluation, stability studies and application testing.
- Develop appropriate analytical and performance test protocols for current products.
- Work closely with Quality Control/Quality Assurance to establish product specifications and analytical methods.
- Ensure consistency between laboratory-developed products and commercial-scale products.

F. Characterization & Technical Evaluation

- Provide technical leadership in polymer synthesis and characterization.




- Ensure appropriate use of advanced characterization techniques for understanding structure-property-performance relationships.
- Guide evaluation of:
- Molecular characteristics, Functional groups
- Porosity and surface properties, Particle characteristics
- Thermal and chemical stability, Mechanical properties
- Ion exchange capacity, Adsorption characteristics
- Chemical resistance, Application performance
- Establish scientific correlation between polymer structure, processing conditions and final product performance.

G. Project Management & Commercialization

- Act as project leader for strategic and high-value R&D; programs.
- Define project objectives, milestones, resources, timelines, risks and deliverables.
- Establish stage-gate/project review mechanisms for major development programs.
- Monitor project progress and proactively address technical and resource constraints.
- Coordinate laboratory development, pilot trials, plant trials, customer trials and commercialization.
- Ensure effective technology transfer from R&D; to Manufacturing.
- Provide technical inputs for cost estimation, product positioning and commercialization decisions.
- Ensure proper documentation of development history, technical data, process parameters and scale-up learnings.

H. Customer, Marketing & Cross-Functional Interface

- Work closely with Sales and Marketing teams to understand customer requirements and identify new product opportunities.
- Participate in customer meetings, technical discussions, product presentations and troubleshooting activities where required.
- Provide technical support for strategic customers and critical applications.
- Coordinate customer trials and evaluate field performance of recent and existing products.
- Collaborate with Production, Quality, Procurement, Engineering and Commercial teams to ensure successful product commercialization.
- Provide technical recommendations to management for product development, product modification and technology investment decisions.

I. R&D; Team Leadership & Capability Development

- Lead, mentor and develop a multidisciplinary team of R&D; scientists, chemists, technical specialists and junior researchers.
- Build a high-performance, innovation-oriented R&D; culture.
- Define individual and team objectives, KPIs and development plans.
- Monitor team productivity, project delivery and technical performance.
- Coach scientists and chemists in experimental design, scientific problem-solving, data interpretation and technical documentation.
- Identify competency gaps and implement appropriate training and capability-building programs.
- Encourage scientific collaboration, knowledge sharing and cross-functional problem solving.
- Develop the next generation of technical leaders within the R&D; organization.

J. Technical Documentation & Knowledge Management Ensure preparation, review and maintenance of technical documentation including:

- Know-How Dossiers (KHDs), Product Data Sheets (PDS)
- Product Bulletins, Safety Data Sheets (SDS/MSDS)
- Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
- Technical specifications, Test methods, technical reports
- Application notes, Internal technical notes
- Scale-up and technology-transfer documents, Customer technical reports

Ensure that R&D; knowledge, experimental data, development history and process know-how are systematically documented and protected. K. Quality, Safety, ISO & Sustainability

- Ensure effective implementation of applicable ISO systems, quality procedures and laboratory management systems within R&D.;
- Maintain high standards of laboratory safety, chemical handling, waste management and environmental compliance.
- Ensure appropriate risk assessment and safe operating practices for chemical synthesis and laboratory activities.
- Support organizational sustainability objectives through development of safer, greener and more resource-efficient products and processes.
- Promote reduction of hazardous raw materials, waste generation, energy consumption and environmental impact wherever technically feasible.
- Ensure compliance with applicable regulatory and customer requirements.

L. Intellectual Property & Technology Protection

- Identify potentially patentable innovations and support IP evaluation and protection.
- Develop and maintain proprietary technical know-how related to products, processes, formulations and applications.
- Ensure appropriate confidentiality and control of sensitive technical information.
- Support patent searches, technical documentation and intellectual property initiatives in coordination with the relevant functions.

3. Key Product & Technology Domains The incumbent should ideally possess broad expertise across one or more of the following areas:

Ion Exchange & Adsorbent Technologies

- Strong/weak acid cation resins, Strong/weak base anion resins
- Chelating and specialty ion exchange resins, Polymeric adsorbents
- Porous polymers, Catalyst resins, Pharma-grade resins, Chromatographic resins
- Specialty separation and purification media

Specialty Polymer & Chemical Technologies

- Polyelectrolytes, Flocculants, Polymer dispersants, Antiscalants
- Scale/corrosion inhibitors, Emulsion polymers, Paper chemicals
- Sizing chemicals, Wet and dry strength resins, Defoamers
- Green polymeric additives/inhibitors,



other specialty and functional polymers

4. Application Areas

Strong understanding of applications in some or preferably several of the following sectors:

- Water and wastewater treatment, Industrial water treatment
- Cooling and boiler water treatment, Process separation and purification
- Petrochemical and refinery, ETP applications, Pharmaceutical and biotechnology applications
- Paper and pulp, Textile, Ceramic, Chemical processing, Food and beverage
- Mining and metal recovery, Chromatography and advanced purification
- Catalysis and specialty chemical processing

5. Education & Experience

Preferred Qualification

- Ph.D. in Polymer Science, Polymer Chemistry, Materials Science, Organic Chemistry or a closely related discipline from a reputed university/institution, with a minimum of 10 years of relevant industrial R&D; experience after Ph.D.

OR

- M.Sc./M.Tech. in Polymer Science, Chemistry, Materials Science or a related discipline, with a minimum of 15 years of relevant industrial R&D; experience in ion exchange resins, specialty polymers, polymeric chemicals or allied specialty chemical products.

Experience

- Significant experience in industrial R&D;, product development and technology commercialization.
- Proven experience in development of ion exchange resins and/or specialty polymeric chemicals.
- Strong hands-on understanding of polymer synthesis, formulation, modification, characterization and performance evaluation.
- Demonstrated experience in leading multidisciplinary R&D; teams.
- Experience managing a team of approximately 5–15+ R&D; scientists/chemists, depending on organizational structure.
- Proven experience in leading multiple R&D; projects from concept through commercialization.
- Experience in pilot-scale development, scale-up and technology transfer to manufacturing is highly desirable.
- Customer-facing technical/application development experience will be an advantage.

6. Core Technical Competencies The incumbent should demonstrate strong practical knowledge of:

- Polymer chemistry and polymer synthesis, Functional polymer development
- Ion exchange chemistry and resin synthesis, Surface chemistry and adsorption
- Polymer characterization and structure-property relationships
- Product formulation and optimization, Application development
- Analytical and performance testing, Process optimization and scale-up
- Technology transfer, Product benchmarking, Design of experiments and scientific data interpretation, Failure analysis and root-cause investigation
- Technical troubleshooting, Product and process cost optimization

7. Leadership & Behavioral Competencies The position requires a strong combination of technical depth, business orientation and people leadership.

The incumbent should possess

- Strategic thinking and innovation mindset, Strong scientific and analytical thinking
- Excellent problem-solving and decision-making capability
- Strong project leadership and execution skills, Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities
- Ability to convert customer/market needs into commercially viable R&D; programs, Strong communication and presentation skills
- Excellent interpersonal and stakeholder-management skills
- Ability to influence cross-functional teams, Strong mentoring and coaching capability, High level of initiative and ownership
- Independent and self-managing approach,
- Result-oriented and commercially conscious mindset
- Ability to work under challenging timelines
- Strong commitment to quality, safety and ethical scientific practices

8. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Performance may be evaluated against the following parameters:

- Number and quality of new products successfully developed and commercialized
- R&D; project delivery against agreed timelines
- Successful scale-up and technology transfers
- Revenue contribution from new products/applications
- Product cost reduction and process improvement achievements
- Improvement in product performance and quality
- Number and success rate of customer/field trials
- Competitive benchmarking and product improvement initiatives
- R&D; productivity and laboratory utilization
- Intellectual property/know-how generation
- Successful resolution of critical technical/customer issues
- Team capability development and retention
- Compliance with quality, ISO, safety and sustainability requirements

9. Overall Role Expectation The DGM / GM – R&D; will be expected to function as a technical and innovation leader, rather than only as a laboratory manager. The incumbent should combine deep expertise in polymer chemistry, ion exchange technology and specialty chemicals with strong commercial understanding, customer orientation and people leadership.

The successful candidate will be responsible for creating a robust R&D; pipeline, accelerating development and commercialization of differentiated products, strengthening application capabilities, developing technical talent and establishing the organization as a technology-driven and innovation-focused player in Ion Exchange Resins, Specialty Polymers and Advanced Chemical Products.

This version is structured to work as a senior-management JD for recruitment, internal grading, or organization approval, while keeping the technical depth expected for a DGM/GM-level R&D; leader.

Note The above responsibilities represent the minimum requirements of the position. Additional duties and responsibilities may be assigned by the Department Head or Management based on operational requirements. This document serves as a guideline and is subject to revision and modification as required by the organization

📌 General Manager (Hyderabad)
🏢 Ion exchange India
📍 Hyderabad