Product Development Leader

First Quality was founded in 1989 and has grown to be a global privately held company with over 4,000 employees. Its corporate offices are located in Great Neck, New York, with manufacturing facilities and offices in Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Georgia, and Canada. First Quality is a diversified family of companies manufacturing consumer products ranging from Absorbent Hygiene (adult incontinence, feminine care, and baby care), Tissue (bath and towel), and Industrial (print and packaging materials), serving institutional and retail markets throughout the world. First Quality focuses on private label and branded product lines.

We are seeking a Product Development Leader for our First Quality Print & Packaging, LLC located in Anderson, South Carolina. This position will provide leadership in the creation and the development of new technologies for flexible packaging. This role will be a key member of the Print & Packaging business unit leadership team and will collaborate with cross-functional colleagues to move the business forward. In addition, this role will lead a team of Product Development professionals at a variety of levels, focusing on their professional growth and development.

Primary responsibilities include:

Provides oversight for the following: evaluation of existing technologies, implementation of new methodologies, materials, processes, etc.; development of new technologies from initial design to market release

Manage an innovative and diverse consumer goods product portfolio within the flexible packaging industry

Executes projects in timely, diligent, safe, and professional manner, and contribute to the growth of the team and department

Collaborates with others in PD, Engineering, Finance, Legal, Manufacturing, Marketing, and Suppliers (through Purchasing).

Support the existing business product cost improvements to meet budgeted business goals through product redesigns

Coach and develop direct reports to enhance team performance towards department objectives

Leading teams of product developers to develop base product strategies and executing project plans that align with business vision and solve consumer problems for both branded and private label teams

Responsible for product life cycle from concept through commercialization, cost optimization, consumer testing, substantiation of product claims, and intellectual property strategy

Collaborating with technical teams to develop multi-year strategies that determine feasibility of new ideas

The ideal candidate should possess the following:

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field required; Master’s degree in physical science or engineering preferred

Minimum of 10 years of experience in flexible packaging, with deep expertise in polymer science, extrusion, lamination, printing and recycling

Minimum of 3 years leading and managing team members

Excellent communication, leadership, and team-building skills with a strong ability and desire to collaborate with all

Knowledge of and experience with developing flexible packaging for the retail market preferred

Experience defining and documenting approved design specifications from concept through commercialization

Working knowledge of materials and suppliers common to the flexible packaging industry

Experience with the process of searching, evaluating and filing patents

Experience providing direction for the physical testing of hypotheses, resulting in specific conclusions and recommendations

Solid analytical skills, with working knowledge of statistics and good computer skills with Word and Excel

Cross-functionally collaborative – a true team player

Able to travel to conferences, suppliers or manufacturing plants for product and process trials, customer meetings and other business

First Quality is committed to protecting information under the care of First Quality Enterprises commensurate with leading industry standards and applicable regulations. As such, First Quality provides at least annual training regarding data privacy and security to employees who, as a result of their role specifications, may come in to contact with sensitive data.

First Quality is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identification, or protected Veteran status.

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