Open Innovation Leader - R&D

Ashland Specialty Ingredients, GP

Are you the kind of person that is always thinking, sketching, seeking, and adjusting? Who needs to understand how things work and then figure out how they can work better? Are you a passionate, tenacious, solver who loves to work with others who share your drive? Are you positive, constructive, and ingenious?

Are you always solving?

Then we’d like to meet you and bet you’d like to meet us.

Ashland has an exciting opportunity for an Open Innovation Leader to join our Ashland LLC business at our Bridgewater, NJ or Wilmington, DE locations.

This is a very visible, significant role within the Company and the R&D function.

This position will report to the SVP & CTO.



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*Must be willing to live in the Bridgewater, NJ or Wilmington, DE location

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As the Open Innovation Leader at Ashland, you will chart the path for R&D breakthroughs by forging partnerships and procuring funding from premier research and innovation collaboration programs in North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia.

You are tasked with orchestrating global efforts between academia and industry and securing government support where relevant.

Your charge is to grow a network of innovation that incorporates external expertise, pioneering ideas, and groundbreaking technologies, ensuring alignment with our strategic goals.

In your role as the ambassador to the academic and research communities, your collaborative endeavors will be crucial to the enhancement and assimilation of cutting-edge technology within our organization.
 

The responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to, the following:



* Serve as a member of the Global Leadership team and collaborate with team members to develop and execute Ashland Open Innovation strategy.


* Develop and manage agreements with universities and research institutions for collaborative research and innovation projects globally working closely with our legal business partners. 


* Secure government grants and funding opportunities. 


* Build and maintain a network of academic and institutional partnerships to contribute to the open innovation strategy of Ashland.


* Serve as a key liaison between Ashland R&D and the external academic and research community, ensuring a continuous flow of innovation into the company.


* Lead and participate in cross-functional teams and business groups that include members from R&D, legal, marketing, and business development to ensure holistic Open Innovation strategy implementation.


* Develop, track and report key performance indicators (KPIs) related to open innovation efforts, including partnership effectiveness and innovation throughput.


* Represent Ashland R&D in external forums, conferences, and workshops. 


* Travel: Approximately 10% travel is required for this role, globally, to North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. 


* Other duties as required.


* Actively contribute to the organizat...