Job Purpose
Oversee the R&D Department in fulfilling a supportive function to the business unit with new product development, maintaining existing products and optimising raw materials and formulations. This role is responsible for R&D within Company’s South Africa, as well as Sub-Saharan Africa divisions, oversee and manage a team of experts.
Key Accountabilities
• Actively contribute to long-range plan and budget process, departmental planning and goal setting.
• Formulate a clear vision for the department, and communicate to other stakeholders, managing boundaries with other departmental
expectations, i.e. Quality.
• Develop goals to reach R&D vision, technical performance and ensure sustainable competitive edge.
• Responsible for goal achievement of the R&D department.
• Oversight of the departmental budget and cost centre.
• Produce periodic consolidated technical reportings based on project evaluations.
• Equip, build and manage a highly motivated and professional team that can rise to meet the demands of a fast-paced and challenging
business environment.
• Developing competency and capacity within the R&D Department.
• Be proactive in identifying business improvement areas, and initiating interventions and projects.
• Lead the R&D team in Sub Saharan Africa to deliver continuous improvement of products and establish projects while maintaining a
continuous new idea generation process allowing development of novel and innovative solutions (Products and Systems).
• Responsible for the R&D Sub-Saharan Africa, ensuring that the laboratory is adequately resourced to meet both external and internal
development requirements.
• Lead raw materials maintenance projects in Sub-Saharan Africa to reduce RMP, align formulations and systems and support their
implementation in cooperation with the purchasing and industrial teams.
• Develop new functionalised systems including sustainable properties.
• Manage R&D projects from its definition to the full development and market implementation of the solution, including project reporting and
documentation.
• Collaborate cross-functionally in new product development, and ensuring and optimising current products.
• Coordinate all R&D and technical activities by various research entities and experts.
• Close cooperation with and support of Federal R&D.
• With support of the human resource manager oversee all HR related issues including recruitment, development and training of all R&D
personnel.
• All such duties and/or activities assigned by management/board as and when required

Minimum Requirements
• Minimum National Diploma in Chemical Engineering, analytical chemistry, materials sciences, or metallurgical engineering
• Minimum 5 years experience within a R&D environment.
• Good knowledge of chemistry of raw materials, including organic and inorganic chemistry and cementations products.
• Proven leadership experience within a technical field.
• Investigative and continuous improvement oriented.
• Excellent communication skills, ability to adapt to the audience.
• Understanding of general business principles and functional areas to facilitate alignment.
• Strategic planning and financial experience.
• Ability to travel nationally and internationally as required.
• Experience with WCM, ISO and SHEQ practices