A. J. Howes

About A. J. Howes

Accomplished manager and leader with a proven track record across multiple research functions and teams. 18 years of experience as a strategic technical leader, organizational manager, project manager, and research and development chemical engineer with expertise in process scale-up and product development. An excellent communicator with extensive experience guiding global technical teams of leaders, scientists, engineers, and technicians. What motivates and drives me is a combination of people development, bringing new products to market in a commercially viable fashion, and solving technical & organizational challenges. Moreover, I have always had a passion for process development and scale-up, working across R&D and manufacturing functions in mutiple industries.

Experience

1. R & d Manager, Plastic Additives

   Milliken & Company

   Jul 2024 — Present · Spartanburg, SC, US

   Lead a diverse team of 8 scientists and 8 lab technicians across the US and China to develop new plastic additives (clarifiers, nucleators, and impact improvers), scale up to ultimate manufacturing and commercialization, and develop analytical techniques to understand and confirm quality and performance of mutiple product lines. • Work with R&D director on long term strategy, project/product planning, and associated budgeting. • Establish yearly objectives, professional development plans, and portfolio management strategies in collaboration with team members.

Education

• University of California, Berkeley

  PhD, Chemical Engineering

• University of Virginia

  BS, Chemical Engineering

Skills

• Analytical Chemistry
• Six Sigma
• Chemistry
• Chemical Engineering
• Surfactants
• Engineering
• Detergents
• Laboratory
• Design of Experiments
• Formulation
• Organic Chemistry
• Materials
• Chromatography
• Continuous Improvement
• Process Engineering
• R&D
• Pilot Plant
• Lubricants