R&D Manager Sayaka Automotive Paint Division

Position Title:

Key Criteria for Recruitment

1. Educational Qualification

• Essential: B.E./B.Tech or M.Tech, PhD in Chemical Engineering / Paint Technology / Polymer Science

• Desirable for college: ICT / NIT / IIT / HBTI or equivalent in coatings technology

2. Technical Experience (Must-Have)

Candidate must have direct hands-on experience in:

• Solvent-borne

  and water-borne automotive paints

• Primer, base coat, and clear coat formulations

• Color matching and pigment dispersion techniques

b)

• Scale-up of lab batches to production

• Optimization of batch processes, mixing, and dispersion equipment

• Troubleshooting production issues (viscosity, flow, drying, etc.)

c)

• Establishing QC parameters for raw materials and finished goods

• Knowledge of paint testing methods: viscosity, gloss, DOI, adhesion, salt spray, etc.

• Handling lab instruments (viscometer, spectrophotometer, gloss meter, etc.)

d)

• On-site troubleshooting and customer complaint resolution

• Application knowledge on metal/plastic/ABS/PP substrates

• Interaction with OEMs, tier-1, and tier-2 customers

• Electrostatic & robotic spray applications

3. Knowledge of Standards & Systems

• Familiarity with OEM specifications (Maruti, Honda, Tata, etc.)

• ISO 9001, TS 16949, IATF standards

• REACH, RoHS, and VOC compliance

• Safety Data Sheet (SDS) preparation and hazard communication

4. Soft Skills & Managerial Attributes

• Team leadership and cross-functional coordination

• Strong communication and customer handling skills

• Problem-solving and analytical thinking

• Reporting and documentation (lab reports, SOPs, data logs)

5. Software Skills

• MS Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word)

• Paint formulation software (Datacolor, X-Rite, or equivalent)

• SAP (preferable for production/QC modules)

Additional Responsibilities:

Project Management & Leadership

• Manage, plan, and review projects through PS.

• Ensure project targets (time, cost, quality) are met.

• Review experimental work and design verification conducted by officers.

• Define and review experimental strategies for each project.

• Ensure balanced workload and appropriate allocation among officers.

• In the absence of the Chief Manager, perform his role.

Technical Support

• Identify root causes for design/application-related customer complaints.

• Develop preventive solutions based on data analysis from plant and customer lines.

• Visit customers to resolve unresolved issues.

• Establish existing and new products at customer sites.

• Review and respond to TSS reports in CRM.

People Management

• Assist the Chief Manager in identifying and bridging skill and competency gaps.

• Help in preparing career paths for officers within the team.