Process and Product Development Engineer - Non-Shrink Materials

Position Summary

Reporting to the Research and Development (R&D) Director for Non-Shrink Materials the individual is responsible for driving the R&D mission which includes the development and timely delivery of innovative, sustainable, robust, and cost-effective product solutions in alignment with the corporate strategy. In this role you will drive and execute new product development for food and medical preservation via innovative polymer/material formulations. In collaboration with multiple other functions and using expertise in processing and polymer structure-property you will incorporate product features in the design to maximize customer and end-user utility.

Job Responsibilities

• Design and execute formulation and processing trials (lab, pilot, and production scale), alignment with other functions for testing, communication with the appropriate operational personnel, and presenting results to project teams and management.
• Effectively lead cross-functional teams of technicians and engineers throughout product development lifecycle. Manage trial logistics and budgets.
• Support Business, Supply chain and Quality teams to resolve quality issues, and other business maintenance activities.
• Identify and pursue potential IP opportunities.
• Develop and leverage external partnerships (materials suppliers, OEMs, universities) to monitor the state of the art and use these relationships to drive innovation.
• Monitor competitive and regulatory landscape and make proactive recommendations to stay ahead of the curve.
• Discover and explore new business, unmet market needs, and technology opportunities in partnership with Business teams, technical experts, and leadership.
• Partner with project management team for monthly reporting, project expense tracking, timeline development and adherence.
• Incorporate principles of Design for Manufacturing into new product development & transition new product and process technology to the Supply Chain organization in a timely and collaborative fashion.
• Collaborate and communicate effectively in a cross functional organization on innovation projects. Use strong presentation skills to present technical information to audiences with diverse backgrounds and connect technical concepts to business outcomes.

Basic Qualifications

• BSc or MSc in Chemical Engineering, Polymer Science & Engineering, or Materials Engineering,
• 0 to 2 years of Industrial and/or research and development experience in polymer processing, development of polymeric materials or plastic formulations.

Additional Qualifications

• Good understanding of structure-process-performance relation of polymeric materials (especially thermoplastics) and working understanding of polymer processing (extrusion, flexographic printing process and material…)
• Strong presentation and communication skills, including the ability to break down technical concepts for a non-technical audience
• Evidence of good judgment and decision-making skills
• Creative and Resourceful, pulls together the necessary tools, equipment and people, to get the job done
• Flexible to travel domestically and internationally, at least 20% of the time