Sr. Technical Services Director

Description

Buckman is a privately held, global specialty chemical company with headquarters in Memphis, TN, USA, committed to safeguarding the environment, maintaining safety in the workplace, and promoting sustainable development. Buckman delivers exceptional service and innovative solutions to our customers globally in the pulp and paper, leather, and water treatment sectors to help boost productivity, reduce risk, improve product quality, and provide a measurable return on investment.

Position Summary

The Sr. Technical Services Director is accountable for strategic leadership, operational effectiveness, and compliance integrity of Regulatory Affairs, Quality Management Systems, and Customer Service operations. This role ensures that all products and services meet regulatory requirements, customer expectations, and internal quality standards while driving cross-functional alignment and continuous improvement across the organization.

Key Outcomes/Responsibilities

Regulatory Compliance & Risk Mitigation

• Ensure full compliance with applicable regulatory standards (e.g., EPA, FDA, REACH) across all products and geographies
• Monitor regulatory changes and lead proactive adjustments to business practices
• Establish internal audit and inspection readiness programs.
• Serve as primary point of contact for regulatory bodies during audits or inquiries

Quality Management & Product Integrity

• Achieve and maintain consistent product quality, minimize deviations, and foster a culture of quality ownership
• Lead implementation and continuous improvement of the Quality Management System.
• Drive root cause investigations and corrective/preventive actions
• Monitor key quality KPIs (e.g., batch failure rate, customer complaints, audit findings)
• Partner with R&D and manufacturing to ensure quality is built into product and process design
• Partner with Plant Managers to implement process safety programs, manage site-specific risk assessments, and achieve compliance with OSHA, EPA, and local regulations

Customer Experience & Service Excellence – Lab services, QC

• Deliver best-in-class customer service that improves satisfaction, retention, and loyalty
• Develop feedback loop on customer experience with quality of service and response time
• Use customer feedback to drive process improvements and service enhancements
• Ensure that we have action and ownership with CCAR logs to improve our process and respond accordingly

Technical Services Lab

• Ensure on time and efficient services to support both internal and external customers with Technical services laboratory
• Establish governance routines that link quality, regulatory, and service insights to product lifecycle management
• Lead cross-functional task forces on product quality, regulatory risks, and customer escalations
• Standardize documentation, training, and communication protocols across teams Ensure alignment with corporate strategy and customer commitments

Product Line Management

• Effectively manage the product line to ensure delivery of the value proposition and to meet the growth and profitability objectives
• Actively managing the product line by continually assessing profitability, off-take and marketability of products and applications, and recommending rationalization
• Ensuring that obsolete products are removed from the active product list (i.e. effective product rationalization) and that SLOB is actively managed
• Managing the new product introduction process in line with regional and global requirements
• Collaborating with the Commercial team to test and qualify new technology opportunities to support growth and profitability objectives
• Effectively managing standard naming protocols for products and product lines

Cross-Functional Leadership & Integration

• Ensure tight integration across Regulatory, Quality, and Customer Service functions to enhance consistency and speed
• Establish governance routines that link quality, regulatory, and service insights to product lifecycle management
• Lead cross-functional task forces on product quality, regulatory risks, and customer escalations
• Standardize documentation, training, and communication protocols across teams
• Ensure alignment with corporate strategy and customer commitments

Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement

• Improve efficiency, reduce cost of non-quality, and enhance service delivery consistency
• Implement lean tools and metrics to reduce waste and improve responsiveness
• Benchmark best practices and lead kaizen initiatives across functions
• Drive digital transformation in document control, complaint tracking, and workflow management
• Monitor and reduce repeat customer complaints, regulatory findings, and rework costs

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Biology, or a related scientific or technical field
• 10+ years of experience in technical services, with a strong background in quality assurance, regulatory compliance, and laboratory operations
• At least 5 years in a leadership or management role overseeing cross-functional technical teams
• Experience working with ISO standards (e.g., ISO 9001, ISO 17025), GMP, or GLP environments
• Proven success managing internal and third-party audits, quality systems, and regulatory inspections
• Experience in product stewardship, customer technical support, or regulatory registration (e.g., REACH, TSCA, FDA, EPA)

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s or PhD in a relevant discipline (e.g., Analytical Chemistry, Regulatory Science, Quality Management)
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with experience presenting and communicating with high level executives
• Strong computer skills including Microsoft Office, Excel, PowerPoint and Word
• Ability to work in a global, multi-cultural and fast paced environment