R&D AI Product Owner (mfd) – with salary information

Are you ready to shape the future of specialty chemicals R&D Covestro is building an AI-native platform that will transform how we discover design and deliver breakthrough materials. As ourR&D AI Product Owner youll be at the forefront of this transformation translating decades of proprietary chemistry expertise into AI-powered software that accelerates innovation from lab to market. Youll own the product vision and roadmap for AI applications that embed intelligence directly into our R&D workflowsmoving beyond generic chatbots toAI that ideates recommends and executesalongside our scientists. Working at the intersection of cutting-edge AI technology materials science and global R&D operations youll coordinate cross-functional teams spanning data scientists software engineers chemists and external AI partners to deliver secure high-impact solutions. This isnt just product managementits pioneering a competitive advantage in an industry where AI adoption will separate leaders from followers. If you have deep R&D experience AI/data science expertise and the vision to turn complex technical challenges into transformative products this is your opportunity to define how a Fortune 500 materials science company wins with AI.

In addition to our diverse benefits a full-time position comes with an attractive starting salary between 111300/ year and 139100/ year plus a variable component. The starting salary is based on your qualifications and professional experience.

Major Tasks & Responsibilities:

Strategy & Vision:

• Communicate the Digital R&D AI Strategy to stakeholders and maintain organizational buy-in

• Own the product roadmap and prioritization framework

• Prioritize opportunities based on user value business impact scientific relevance data readiness technical feasibility risk and adoption potential

• Balance near-term delivery of practical AI features with the long-term development of AI-native R&D capabilities

• Maintain a transparent roadmap that supports agile delivery whileremainingunderstandable to R&D leadership and expert users

Stakeholder and User Management:

• Build trusted relationshipswith relationshipswith R&D chemists simulation experts and other end users

• Run structured discovery through Jobs-to-be-Done interviews workflow analysis value-stream mapping prototyping pilot groups user testing and feedback loops.

• Manage leadership expectations and communications on product progress

• Coordinate with IT security and external vendor on product-level needs

• Define clear problem statements target users success metrics and adoption assumptions before scaling a use case.

Business & Operations:

• Drive use case validation and ROI quantificationwith measurable value propositions and business cases for AI product initiatives.

• Manage budget priorities and resource allocation decisions

• Own vendor selection for non-technical product services

• Track and report on product metrics adoption and business outcomes.

AI product definition and delivery:

• Translate validated R&D problems into product requirements epics user stories acceptance criteria experiment plans and release scopes

• Work closely with Lead AI Experts data scientists software engineers UX designers architects and external partners to shapefeasibleproduct solutions

• Support agile delivery through backlog refinement sprint planning review sessions release planning and prioritization decisions

Basic Qualifications:

• 5 years of experience in product management product ownership digital product development AI product development or comparable rolesmanagement in large global and cross-functional initiatives

• Proven ability to translate complex scientific technical or operational problems into clear product requirements and delivery priorities

• Strong product discovery skills including user research problem framing prototyping validation prioritization and impact measurement

• Practical understanding of AI machine learning generative AI RAG AI agents data products or algorithmic decision-support systems

• Experience working with technical teams such as data scientists software engineers AI engineers architects UX designers or platform teams

• Strong stakeholder management skills across expert users technical teams middle management and senior leadership

Preferred Qualifications:

• PhDin a science or engineering field with 5 years experience conducting R&D or process optimization in an industrial setting; OR Masters degree in a science or engineering field with 6 years experience conducting R&D or process optimization in an industrial setting

• 5 years of relevant experience in data science/ data analytics/ generative AI

• Experience building AI products for enterprise users expert users or internal knowledge workers

• Familiarity with scientific data experimental workflows lab systems knowledge management ELN/LIMS simulation tools patent/literature search or technical documentation

• Experience defining AI product evaluation methods model-quality metrics human-in-the-loop workflows and responsible AI guardrails

• Completed coursework and certifications in machine learning deep learning AI agents software engineering using AI

For initial questions Chris Rziha () is happy to help. Please do not use this email address to send your application or CV. To apply please click the Apply button. Applications submitted by email will not be considered.