Global Technical Services Manager – Liquid Systems (Carbon Black – Inks & Coatings)

Job Title: Global Technical Services Manager – Liquid Systems (Carbon Black – Inks & Coatings)
Location: Anywhere in Germany or Belgium (Remote / Home Office with European travel)
Industry: Specialty Chemicals / Advanced Materials

Overview: A global specialty chemicals organisation operating in advanced performance materials is looking to appoint a Global Technical Services Manager – Liquid Systems to lead the technical interface between customers, R&D, and commercial teams across the inks, paints, and coatings sector.

This role sits at the centre of product application, formulation performance, and customer technical engagement, supporting the adoption and optimisation of carbon black materials used in liquid systems.

You will act as the global technical authority for applications within inks and coatings, supporting customers across Europe while shaping internal product development, application standards, and technical strategy.

The position is home-based in Germany with regular travel to customers and industry events across Europe.

Key Responsibilities:

Technical Leadership & Customer Engagement:

• Act as the technical expert for carbon black applications in inks, paints, and coatings

• Provide advanced troubleshooting on formulation challenges, including dispersion, flocculation, rheology, gloss, undertone, jetness and filterability

• Support customers with grade selection, formulation optimisation and performance improvement

• Lead technical discussions with senior customer stakeholders and formulation teams

Applications & Laboratory Excellence:

• Define best-practice dispersion techniques and application testing standards

• Establish consistent laboratory testing methodologies across application labs

• Build structured application datasets enabling faster technical recommendations

• Support technical validation during product qualification and scale-up

Product Development & Portfolio Support:

• Translate customer formulation challenges into clear R&D product development briefs

• Partner with research teams on surface chemistry, structure optimisation and dispersibility improvements

• Develop application maps and recommendation matrices for different coatings and ink systems

Quality & Manufacturing Interface:

• Lead technical investigation of customer complaints and root cause analysis

• Work with manufacturing teams on critical-to-quality parameters and process optimisation

• Improve product consistency and strengthen technical credibility with key accounts

Technical Market Representation:

• Represent the company at industry conferences, technical workshops and customer technology days

• Develop technical papers, presentations and knowledge tools supporting the commercial organisation

Team & Operational Leadership:

• Establish global technical services processes and KPIs

• Support the development of a high-performance technical applications team

• Manage application lab investments, budgets and technical priorities

Candidate Profile:

• Master’s or PhD in Chemistry, Materials Science, Polymer Science or Chemical Engineering

• 10+ years of experience in carbon black applications for inks, paints or coatings

• Deep expertise in dispersion science, rheology, colour science and application testing

• Experience supporting customer formulation development or application labs

• Strong understanding of regulatory compliance and product stewardship

• Ability to operate in senior customer-facing technical roles

• Fluent in German and English

• Willingness to travel across Europe

Nice to Have:

Experience with applications such as:

• Conductive coatings

• EMI shielding materials

• Battery coatings

• Digital inkjet systems

Application Process:

To apply, please submit your CV and a cover letter detailing your relevant experience and qualifications for the role. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so early submissions are encouraged.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive work environment. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply.

Contact: Elvis Eckardt