Innovation Engineer

Innovation Engineer

The Innovation Engineer will support the development and commercialization of sustainable flexible fiber-based packaging solutions (recyclable and compostable) through hands-on product development, laboratory evaluation, quality testing, and customer trial support. This role works cross-functionally with R&D, manufacturing, quality, and commercial teams to advance innovative packaging technologies from concept through scale-up and market validation.

Essential Duties and Tasks

• Research, design, understand the fundamentals and develop new sustainable flexible fiber packaging platforms. Staying up to date on Recyclable and Compostable regulations and requirements.
• Implement products and structures for new or improved existing products. Follow through from trials to full scale manufacturing.
• Collaborating with global and national brands to develop innovative new product concepts. Identifying new developments and technologies.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams as well as local product development engineers and material & process suppliers, industry experts, manufacturing, sales, and customers to develop specifications, evaluate, and control properties of substrates, materials and processes
• Supporting the qualification of substrates, development materials, and processes used in the manufacture of products
• Provide technical support in solving product quality problems
• Utilize project management skills and complete cost analysis to effectively drive product development and innovation projects
• Support marketing requests for product performance and technical information
• Support and/or lead customer innovation sessions aimed at developing new product concepts
• Validate materials and processes in accordance with FDA standards
• All other duties as assigned

Qualifications, Education and Experience

• Master's Degree required, preferably chemical engineering, paper/pulp/Fiber science or equivalent combination of education and experience. Post-graduate degree a plus. Statistics and statistical process control training.
• Experience with FDA requirements and ISO standards.
• Solid working knowledge of development processes and related manufacturing.
• Experience using Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Power Point), Visio, Teams, and Outlook
• Maintains strict confidentiality and protects privacy of confidential/sensitive information.
• Exceptional time management and organization skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively (verbal, written, and presentations) with executive leadership, staff, and internal and external clients.
• Proactive; exercises sound judgment and decision making; able to identify problems and needs and develop solutions and/or options.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Self-confident, self-motivated polished professional who thrives in a challenging, fast-paced environment.