A growing and very successful company has an excellent opportunity available for an R&D Engineer. The R&D Engineer focuses on the enhancement and development of new products. This role will generate ideas and processes to manage and conduct product trials, coordinate and execute objectives of the R&D Department through a collaborative relationship with the Operations team, and manage the day-to-day activities of R&D lab technicians. This role involves developing test procedures to replicate customer use of stretch film, managing the Stage-Gate process for new products, product extensions, and resin qualifications, designing and executing film testing plans, analyzing test results, building presentations, and presenting findings to internal and external customers. The R&D Engineer will also assist in achieving the company’s yearly New Product Vitality goals. This is a leadership role with supervisory responsibility.
Job Duties/Responsibilities:
- Plays a vital role within the R&D Department to help facilitate and expand development ideas for new product concepts.
- With the Director of R&D, collaborate with Sales to gain an understanding of external customer needs, working to provide sustainable and effective solutions while maintaining quality standards.
- Facilitate process improvements to enhance new and existing products, working to optimize process efficiency.
- Coordinate and conduct R&D product trials, providing leadership on the production floor to lab techs and production employees assisting with projects.
- Collaborate with Production and Quality departments to execute R&D objectives.
- Provide leadership and mentorship to R&D Lab Tech, managing day to day activities and tasks, facilitating career accountability in tasks with opportunities for growth and development.
- Assist with training employees on new processes, procedures or equipment to ensure accuracy in procedures that meet quality standards.
- Develop and document test procedures to replicate customer use of stretch film.
- Manage Stage-Gate process for new products, product extensions, and resin qualifications.
- Develop, execute, and manage film testing plans, including cost analysis.
- Analyzing and reporting on test results, providing feedback on findings with ability to build presentations and present to all levels of employees and external customers.
- Follow and promote all company safety policies and procedures ensuring the safety of all employees.
- Foster an environment that creates excitement and engagement in the R&D process and engages other employees in the process.
- Run experiments to support continuous improvement by increasing production efficiency and reducing scrap and downtime.
- Collaborating with Plant Manager to support production functions and serve as a resource during and after hours to support Team Manager and Production Manager for the NC facility.
- Ensure communications with the NC Plant Manager and Production Manager on projects, status updates, concerns, issues and resource needs such as equipment or human capital needs to ensure onsite leadership is apprised of R&D operations from a safety, staffing & OE perspective.
- Serve as an active member of plant leadership, attending plant meetings to provide status updates and other plant events, offering mentor and leadership to production and operations employees on process changes and improvements.
Requirements:
- Extensive extrusion process knowledge, preferably within the stretch film industry.
- Demonstrated project management skills within a professional environment as it relates to planning, carrying out, and completing large-scope projects.
- Experience performing root cause analysis to solve problems, with the ability to be innovative and adept at testing new methodologies.
- Data Analysis experience with experience in statistical analysis of large data sets, with the ability to transform data into attainable solutions.
- Proven ability to lead, mentor, and manage individuals, both direct reports and project leadership.
- Strong technical aptitude with an excellent understanding and strong troubleshooting skills within the manufacturing industry and extrusion equipment
- Ability & experience to successfully communicate with external contractors and equipment suppliers to build long-term, lasting relationships
- Proven ability to successfully work in a collaborative relationship with multiple departments
- Negotiation and conflict management skills together with demonstrated experience in troubleshooting and problem-solving
- The ability to adapt to fast-paced rapid changes, and to manage multiple tasks, while handling unexpected delays or events. All while maintaining constant attention to detail discerning the correct prioritization of each project assigned
- Organized, motivated self-starter, with the ability to prioritize tasks
- High level of attention to detail and problem-solving ability
- Strong written, verbal communication and interpersonal skills, strong presentation skills including technical writing and above average documentation skills, with the ability to effectively explain, demonstrate, and train employees on policy and procedures
- Advanced MS Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Project Management Software, CAD systems
- Organized self-starter with the ability to adapt to fast-paced; rapid changes, with the ability to juggle multiple tasks and handle unexpected delays or events, all while maintaining constant attention to detail
- Practice and promote teamwork and servant leadership style within the organization
- High level of dependability regarding attendance and punctuality
- Strong understanding of the stretch film process, extrusion equipment, and related support equipment for the extrusion manufacturing process
- Ability to apply understanding and assist manufacturing facilities in troubleshooting processes and equipment as determined by Director of R&D and Plant Management.
- Experience with extrusion, blown film, cast film, polyethylene, polypropylene, HDPE, LDPE, LLDPE, polymers or thermoplastics would be a big plus.
