Associate Director, Global Testing & Certifications

• Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Materials Science, Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum 8 years of experience in testing, product qualification, certifications, coatings technology, fire protection technologies, laboratory operations, engineering support, or related technical fields.
• Experience managing testing programs involving external laboratories and certification organizations.
• Strong knowledge of Protective Coatings technologies and testing methodologies.
• Understanding of testing and certification processes associated with industrial coatings and passive fire protection products.
• Proven success leading complex cross-functional initiatives involving R&D, Engineering, Technical Service, Product Management, and Commercial teams.
• Demonstrated leadership capability with experience managing and developing teams.

• Master's degree in a relevant technical discipline.
• Experience leading a testing, certification, or laboratory operation.
• Knowledge of global certification frameworks and regulatory approval processes.

• The established salary range for this position is GBP 70,268 - 94,193 gross annual in the UK.
• Company bonus plan
• Private medical insurance
• Life Pension Scheme: Company-contributed for your future security.
• Flexible Working Schedule: Includes weekends and bank holidays.
• Sick Pay and Annual Leave: Continued salary payment during sickness and 25 days of annual leave.
• Work-Life Balance: We value your personal time and well-being.
• Career Opportunities: Grow within a truly international business.
• Ongoing Training and Support: Continuous learning and development opportunities.

• Develop and lead the global strategy for testing, certifications, and product qualifications across the Protective Coatings portfolio.
• Create testing and qualification roadmaps aligned with business priorities, market opportunities, customer requirements, and innovation goals.
• Prioritize investments based on commercial impact, market access, risk, cost, and speed to market.
• Drive continuous improvement in testing efficiency, cycle time, and reuse of existing qualification and certification assets.
• Oversee a global portfolio of testing and certification programs supporting product development, commercialization, portfolio expansion, and certification maintenance.
• Develop annual testing plans and budgets in collaboration with key stakeholders.
• Manage global testing spend, ensuring clear prioritization, visibility, and alignment to business objectives.
• Establish standardized approaches for testing execution, governance, documentation, and reporting across regions.
• Lead testing, approvals, certifications, and technical assessments supporting our Passive Fire Protection portfolio.
• Guide fire testing programs for intumescent coatings and related fire-protection systems.
• Maintain and leverage global approval and certification assets to support growth and market expansion.
• Translate test data into actionable technical and commercial decisions in partnership with cross-functional teams.
• Define testing, qualification, validation, and certification requirements early in development programs.
• Support product launches, customer qualifications, specification approvals, and portfolio extensions.
• Utilize existing testing data and certifications to accelerate commercialization and reduce time-to-market.
• Lead the development of a centralized global database for testing results, certifications, approvals, assessments, and qualification records.
• Partner with Digital & IT teams to develop scalable systems that improve visibility and accessibility of technical data.
• Establish governance processes that ensure data integrity, consistency, and global accessibility.
• Deliver meaningful reporting and insights on certification status, testing costs, approval coverage, and strategic gaps.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with external laboratories, certification organizations, and regulatory bodies.
• Evaluate and optimize testing partners based on quality, responsiveness, technical expertise, and cost effectiveness.
• Drive global consistency while maximizing value from external testing investments.
• Standardize global processes for testing, certifications, approvals, and qualifications.
• Improve transparency of testing schedules, project priorities, certification status, and spending.
• Support digital transformation initiatives that strengthen governance, efficiency, and business responsiveness.

This is an opportunity to build and lead a strategically important global capability that directly influences innovation, market access, customer confidence, and business growth. You'll work with industry-leading technologies, shape global standards, and create systems that will drive long-term value across a growing international portfolio.

Ready to make a global impact? Apply today and help shape the future of testing, certifications, and qualification excellence within Protective Coatings.

What We Can Offer You...