Mechanical Research Manager

Who We Are

Johns Manville is a leading manufacturer and marketer of premium-quality insulation and commercial roofing, along with glass fibers and nonwovens for commercial, industrial and residential applications. Our products are used in a wide variety of industries including building products, aerospace, automotive and transportation, filtration, commercial interiors, waterproofing and wind energy.

A proud member of the Berkshire Hathaway family of companies, we serve customers in more than 80 countries around the globe. We are committed to delivering positive and powerful experiences, because we are successful only when our employees and customers thrive. We are passionate, we care about people, we perform at a superior level, and we protect others and our environments.

Pay Range

$142,600.00-$196,000.00 Annual

This is the base salary pay range that an applicant can expect to make upon hire. Pay within this range will vary based upon relevant experience, skills, and education among other factors. In addition, this position is eligible for an incentive bonus.

The purpose of the Mechanical Research Manager's role is to develop new products and processes for an individual business unit or operating group to increase sales and provide Johns Manville with a competitive advantage. The Research Manager will be responsible for leading an R&D Team with long-term projects, conducting research, designing and running pilot/plant trials, developing intellectual property, and providing strategic technical direction.

Your Day-to-Day:

• Present concepts, research plans, project updates and milestones internally to peers and senior management team and externally to customers.
• Lead business teams and serve as the technical lead for project reviews, planning and executing product trials and solving internal product issues/customer complaints.
• Plan and execute scale-up trials with Operations and Business.
• Use statistical analysis to analyze data and design experiments.
• Participate in or lead cross-functional teams.
• Determine project priorities and resource allocation with business / operations leadership, Innovation Commercialization, and Supply Chain
• Complete a detailed review of existing patent space with IP counsel and external IP counsel resources if needed. File ID's and patent applications as IP is generated.
• Travel to manufacturing plants to implement new product concepts, or to optimize existing products and processes in reinforcement.
• Hands-on work with laboratory and pilot equipment and purchase and maintenance of pertinent research equipment.
• Initiate and maintain collaborative development with customers.
• Lead product/process trials at external laboratories/pilot facilities.
• Keep abreast of market intelligence on competitor's technology and product platforms and provide feedback to RD group and business team.
• May be required to perform other related duties as assigned.

What You Bring to the Team:

• PhD Mechanical Engineering with a minimum of 10 years of related work experience.
• 3+ years’ experience in managing a team of engineers.
• Supervises/Leads individuals or a project team to achieve milestones and objectives by setting priorities and providing direction. May provide feedback for performance evaluations.
• Plant, Production Scale-up experience.
• Familiarity with advanced analytical and computational tools (CFD/FEA).
• Familiarity with routine literature patent search methods.
• Proficient in Microsoft Project, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio, and Outlook.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.
• Proven project management skills
• Strong presentation skills
• Proven ability to negotiate
• Strong leadership skills
• Proven analytical and quality improvement ability
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment
• Ability to interface at all levels of the organization, both internally and externally
• Heavy travel required 25%
• Work environment is typical of a research and development facility (may be exposed to environmental conditions of cold, heat, high noise levels, moving mechanical parts, heights, dust/mist/gas/fumes, extensive walking or climbing, etc.)

Please Keep in Mind

If you do not meet 100% of these requirements, we at JM still want to hear from you. So, if you are interested in the role, we encourage you to apply so we can learn how your skills and talents can contribute to our team.

Benefits

Johns Manville (JM) offers a wide range of benefits to employees. Some are subsidized by the company and others are fully employee-paid. Health benefits include a choice of comprehensive medical plans, a dental plan, vision plan, wellness program and critical illness insurance. JM sponsors a 401(k) plan which includes a sizeable company match. JM offers paid vacation and also provides paid sick and parental leave for eligible employees.

Additionally, Johns Manville provides basic life Insurance, short-term and long-term disability coverage, an employee assistance program, and business travel accident coverage. Supplemental life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment insurance are available as well. The company also offers a variety of tax saving accounts; health spending account, traditional flexible spending account, and a dependent care spending account. JM also offers a tuition reimbursement program for undergraduate and certain graduate programs.

Johns Manville supports employee growth with vast educational opportunities and a company-wide mentoring program. This program pairs employees and leaders to grow skills, build stronger internal networks and strengthen the company’s succession planning process. Johns Manville also offers soft and hard skills training facilitated by internal and external presenters. Our talent management team prioritizes the holistic growth of our workforce.

Diversity & Inclusion

Johns Manville believes diversity and inclusion in our workplace is critical for the long-term success of our company. We are committed to retaining, developing and attracting a diverse workforce that fosters an inclusive work environment in which all employees are treated with dignity and respect. This is the right thing to do for our employees, our company and our communities. Our D&I council is composed of employees from locations across North American & Europe who meet regularly and work to promote and foster an environment of inclusion. Born from our D&I council is our network of employee resource groups (ERGs) that are focused on supporting diverse communities in the workplace. Review more about our diversity & inclusion initiatives on JM’s Career page.

Incumbent must be physically able to perform essential job functions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. We maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment substance abuse testing.