ABOUT THIS POSITION

At Henkel, you’ll be part of an organization that’s shaping the future through innovation, sustainability and collaboration. With our trusted brands like Persil®, ‘all®, Loctite®, Snuggle®, and Schwarzkopf® and our cutting-edge technologies, you’ll have countless opportunities to explore new paths and grow.
This position is with our Adhesive Technologies business unit – where we empower our people to transform industries and provide our customers with a competitive advantage through adhesives, sealants and functional coatings.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Master’s or PhD in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Data Science, or a related technical discipline.
• 10+ years of experience in R&D leadership, digital transformation, project management or innovation strategy within the adhesives, specialty chemicals, or process industries.
• Expertise in understanding digital tools used in research environments: ELNs, LIMS, modeling software, data lakes, and AI/ML platforms.
• Proven track record of managing complex, cross-functional digital programs and teams across global organizations.

Skills and Competencies:

• Strong stakeholder management skills and the ability to communicate technical concepts to non-technical teams are important.
• Strong leadership, communication, and influencing skills at all levels of the business.
• Passion for driving innovation, customer-centric design, and continuous improvement through digital technology.

We are looking for a visionary Digital Transformation Leader with strong experience in innovation environments to scope, prioritize, and implement the digital modernization of our innovation functions. As a global leader in adhesives, sealants & surface treatments, we seek to accelerate innovation cycles, enhance product development and application engineering capabilities while strengthening collaboration and knowledge sharing across all functions. This role requires a strong blend of strategic thinking, technical expertise and change management skills to lead cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and lead Henkel’s Industrial Adhesive SBUs digital transformation strategy in alignment with business goals, focusing on operational excellence, innovation and customer value.
• Augment cross-functional collaboration between Henkel’s IT, centralized digital innovation teams and the Industrial adhesive SBUs Innovation and commercial teams.
• Champion the adoption of digital tools, data platforms, advanced modeling, predictive analytics and AI/ML models to increase the effectiveness of innovation functions.
• Oversee and drive change management strategies for digital initiatives, ensuring stakeholder engagement, effective communication, and smooth adoption.
• Consolidate and streamline internal access to product and application knowledge for customer support and innovation.
• Continuously monitor technological trends and assess their relevance to the business. If needed, build partnerships with external vendors, consultants, and tech providers.
• Champion a digital-first mindset across the organization and collaborate with leadership teams to drive cultural and operational change.
• Develop upskilling/training programs with global counterparts and create communication strategies to support digital adoption across all functions interacting with innovation teams.
• Increase customer technical intimacy through digital solutions, CRM enhancements, and data-driven service models.
• Track and report performance metrics, success factors, and KPIs related to digital transformation.