Apogee Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ: APOG), was founded in 1949 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, MN. Apogee is a growing, profitable company with annual revenues approaching $1.5 billion. We provide distinctive metal and glass solutions for enclosing commercial buildings, and glass and acrylic solutions for picture framing and display applications. To learn more visit: www.apog.com.
The Apogee Performance Surfaces segment generates >$200M in revenue and EBITDA margins of 20-25%. Our brands in the Performance Surfaces portfolio develop and manufacture high-performance coated materials for a variety of applications, including wall décor, museums, graphic design, architectural interiors, digital display, and industrial flooring markets. We are the global leader in anti-reflective, conservation grade electrostatic dissipative, high-definition, and abrasion resistance coatings, that provide protection, innovative designs, and exceptional durability.
Position Summary
The Director, R&D & Advanced Technologies is a working technical leader responsible for the Faribault R&D organization and the development of advanced surface technologies. This role requires deep expertise in PVD sputtering and practical experience with PECVD or related plasma processes.
Approximately 50–60% of the role is hands-on, including personally leading high-priority development programs, designing and conducting experiments, optimizing processes, solving complex technical problems, and scaling technologies into manufacturing. The balance of the role includes setting R&D priorities, managing the technology portfolio, developing technical talent, and aligning resources with customer, business, and manufacturing needs.
The successful candidate will be equally effective in the laboratory, manufacturing environment, and leadership setting. This individual is expected to personally deliver technical outcomes, not solely manage the work of others.
Responsibilities
Hands-On Technology Development
- Personally lead one or two priority advanced-technology programs from experimentation through manufacturing implementation.
- Design and execute experiments, develop coating architectures, analyze data, optimize processes, and solve complex technical problems.
- Apply deep expertise in PVD sputtering, PECVD/plasma processes, thin films, and advanced surface technologies.
- Lead process scale-up, validation, root-cause analysis, and the transfer of new technologies into manufacturing.
- Maintain a regular presence in the laboratory and manufacturing environment.
R&D Leadership and Portfolio Management.
- Lead the Faribault R&D organization and establish priorities aligned with business growth, customer needs, and manufacturing requirements.
- Manage the development portfolio, balancing longer-term technology opportunities with near-term commercial priorities.
- Establish clear project objectives, milestones, resource requirements, technical risks, and success criteria.
- Provide senior leadership with clear recommendations regarding technology opportunities, investments, risks, and development priorities.
- Ensure resources are focused on initiatives with the greatest strategic and economic value.
Commercialization and Customer Partnership
- Translate customer and market needs into technical requirements, development programs, and technology roadmaps.
- Partner with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Sales, Marketing, and Technical Service to commercialize new products and processes.
- Engage directly with strategic customers to address complex technical challenges and identify development opportunities.
- Build productive external relationships with suppliers, universities, research organizations, and technology partners.
- Ensure new technologies deliver required performance, manufacturability, quality, cost, and customer value.
Talent and Technical Capability
- Lead, coach, and develop scientists, chemists, engineers, and technicians.
- Build organizational capability in coating, deposition, plasma, materials, analytical, and process-development disciplines.
- Strengthen experimental design, structured problem-solving, technical documentation, and knowledge sharing.
- Identify critical capability gaps and address them through employee development, recruiting, or external partnerships.
- Foster a culture of technical rigor, accountability, collaboration, learning, and practical innovation.
Operational Leadership
- Manage R&D operating and capital budgets and prioritize resources based on strategic and business impact.
- Establish measurable performance objectives for development milestones, scale-up, manufacturing transfer, commercialization readiness, cycle time, and technical performance.
- Champion safety, disciplined experimentation, knowledge management, and continuous improvement.
- Improve R&D productivity while reducing technical risk, waste, process variation, and development cycle time.
Personal Attributes and Experience
- Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, Engineering, or a related technical discipline required.
- Advanced technical degree preferred.
- Progressive R&D, technology-development, coatings, thin-film, vacuum-deposition, plasma-processing, or related experience.
- Demonstrated hands-on experience developing, optimizing, and scaling PVD sputtered thin-film coatings in a production-oriented environment, including coating-stack design, deposition-process development, process characterization, and troubleshooting of coating-performance challenges; practical PECVD/plasma experience also required.
- Demonstrated experience personally leading complex technology-development projects from experimentation through scale-up or implementation.
- Previous leadership of technical professionals strongly preferred.
- Experience operating in a manufacturing or commercially oriented R&D organization preferred.
- Strategic application of artificial intelligence (AI) tools and technologies to drive business outcomes, enhance decision-making, and improve operational efficiency.
Critical Technical Requirements
- Demonstrated expertise in PVD sputtering technology and processes.
- Demonstrated expertise with PECVD and/or plasma-based deposition and surface-treatment processes.
- Demonstrated ability to personally design, execute, analyze, and interpret technical experiments.
- Experience developing and optimizing coating architectures and deposition processes.
- Demonstrated capability in technology development, process optimization, troubleshooting, and manufacturing scale-up.
- Strong knowledge of experimental design, root-cause analysis, technical data analysis, and structured problem-solving.
- Experience transitioning new technologies from laboratory or development environment into manufacturing.
Additional Preferred Technical Experience
- Wet-chemistry coating formulation and application experience.
- Thin-film characterization and surface-analysis experience.
- Experience with multiple coating and deposition technologies.
- Experience working within a manufacturing environment where new technologies must transition from development into scalable production.
Leadership Competencies
- Ability to operate effectively as both a technical expert and organizational leader.
- Strong technical judgment and disciplined decision-making.
- Ability to balance hands-on project execution with leadership of multiple development priorities.
- Demonstrated ability to develop technical professionals.
- Strong cross-functional leadership and influence.
- Ability to communicate complex technical concepts effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences.
- Strong business acumen and ability to connect technical investments to customer and business needs.
Work Environment
This job will require 4 days each week on site. The noise level in the office is generally moderate. While performing the duties of this job, the employee frequently interacts with individuals on the plant floor, near moving mechanical parts. The noise level in the production environment is usually loud.
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Pay Range
· $160,000-175,000
Our Benefits
We care about and invest in our employees. We are proud to offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support their well-being and foster professional development. Here is a glimpse of what you can look forward to if you join our team.
Competitive Benefits Package for employees and their dependents (Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Disability)
Incentive Plans
401(k) with employer contribution and match
Employee Stock Purchase Plan with employer match
Paid Time Off (Vacation and Sick Time)
Paid Holidays
Tuition Reimbursement Program
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Wellness Program
Training and Career Progression
Apogee and our brands are an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Skills Required
- Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, Engineering, or a related technical discipline
- Progressive experience in R&D, technology development, coatings, thin films, vacuum deposition, plasma processing, or a related field
- Hands-on experience developing, optimizing, and scaling PVD-sputtered thin-film coatings in a production-oriented environment
- Practical experience with PECVD and/or plasma-based deposition and surface-treatment processes
- Experience with coating-stack design, deposition-process development, process characterization, and troubleshooting coating-performance challenges
- Ability to design, execute, analyze, and interpret technical experiments
- Experience leading complex technology-development projects from experimentation through scale-up or manufacturing implementation
- Experience with technology development, process optimization, troubleshooting, and manufacturing scale-up
- Strong knowledge of experimental design, root-cause analysis, technical data analysis, and structured problem-solving
- Experience transitioning technologies from laboratory or development environments into manufacturing
- Advanced technical degree
- Previous leadership of technical professionals
- Experience in a manufacturing or commercially oriented R&D organization
- Wet-chemistry coating formulation and application experience
- Thin-film characterization and surface-analysis experience
- Experience with multiple coating and deposition technologies
- Strategic use of artificial intelligence tools and technologies to drive business outcomes
Apogee Enterprises Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Apogee Enterprises and has not been reviewed or approved by Apogee Enterprises.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Ownership via an Employee Stock Purchase Plan with a company match is positioned as a core element of total rewards, enhancing long‑term value beyond base pay. Plan updates and corporate materials emphasize this equity component as a meaningful part of compensation.
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Retirement Support — A 401(k) with employer contribution and match is consistently highlighted, signaling solid support for long‑term savings. Job materials and corporate content frame retirement plans as a key pillar of the package.
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Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — Wellness and mental‑health resources include screenings, flu shots for employees and dependents, and an EAP with multiple counseling visits plus an online CBT tool. These offerings indicate tangible investment in wellbeing beyond core medical coverage.
Apogee Enterprises Insights
What We Do
By definition, Apogee means "highest point." It's no coincidence that it's also the name of our company. For over 70 years it is a name that has inspired and driven us to achieve a higher level of excellence in all we do. We are not satisfied with the status quo. We aim higher, think bigger, and endeavor to create even more value for every Apogee stakeholder. We strive to create peak value. Apogee is a leader in architectural products and services. Our glass and aluminum window, storefront and curtainwall systems make buildings look great, reduce energy consumption, and protect occupants and property. Our highly skilled team designs glass and metal building façades, completes massive orders for skyscrapers on time, and manages complex window, curtainwall and storefront installation projects. We are also a leader in the protection and conservation of all things framed and displayed. Our Tru Vue business provides high-performance glass and acrylic products for the custom framing, fine art, and technical glass markets.
