Sr Product Development Engineer

Summary: Establishes and coordinates product development activities in packaging applications in accordance with policies, regulations, and sound business practices. Works with customers to identify and understand product requirements and uses existing technologies to provide cost-effective, timely solutions.

Key Accountabilities:

• Coordinates research and development projects for assigned customers or market segments based on identified product requirements and utilizes organizational capabilities to produce cost-effective, high quality product.
• Follows and ensures others adhere to formal product development process using stage gate reviews.
• Designs, develops, and improves new or existing products in assigned market segments, designing and testing prototypes for customer demonstrations.
• May be involved in development and implementation of products using new technologies in accordance with customer needs and company strategies.
• Works with material and equipment suppliers to keep abreast of current trends and practices.
• Tracks and monitors development activities, such as records of process conditions and properties, progress reports, and updates to inform management of current status of each project and to compile knowledge database for future projects.
• Effectively communicates with personnel within our organization (Research and Development, Purchasing, Sales and Production).
• Oversees transition of projects into production to ensure successful implementation and commercialization.  May travel overnight to customer plants to observe product trials during all shifts.
• Introduces products into customer production facilities, working with their equipment to ensure optimum performance of proposed solution. Troubleshoots performance issues with existing products.
• Performs other related work as required.
• The responsibility for establishing and implementing the training needs of the Product Development personnel to ensure they have the required competencies to carry out those functions affecting product, legality, safety, and quality shall be defined and documented.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Chemistry or related field or equivalent combination of education (polymer or packaging) and experience.  Master’s Degree preferred.
• Significant (10+ years) progressively responsible product development experience.
• Minimum of three years of experience in packaging with knowledge of polymer physical and processing properties (including polyethylene resins, Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol [EVOH] and copolymers, Polyethylene Terephthalate [PET], Oriented Polypropylene [OPP] and polyethylene sealant films).
• Understanding of industry converting equipment is required. Film printing and metallization experience a plus.

Skills, Abilities and Competencies:

• High energy level.
• Capable of directing multifaceted projects, and coordinating activities of multiple segments of the organization, with a minimum of supervision.
• Ability to interact successfully with diverse functions and personalities, in a tactful, mature and flexible nature.
• Strong analytical, numerical, methodical and reasoning abilities.  Sound judgment.
• Adequate communication skills, written and verbal.
• Resourceful and well organized.
• Ability to be decisive and to establish credibility with the customer and organization; able to recognize and support the organization’s preferences and priorities.
• Flexible to changes in priorities, able to respond to crises while maintaining efforts on existing projects.
• Results- and profit-oriented with the ability to balance other business considerations.
• Travel to customer required (40%).