Sr Manager, Plastics

Enjoy a career, packaged with care, whilst helping protect food, people and the planet. We are a key global provider of sustainable packaging solutions. We’re on a mission to make all packaging recyclable, reusable, or compostable. Every day, we ensure the hygiene and safety of food and drink for people around the world. We are Huhtamaki.

You could be part of our vision. Because it’s our talented people that make it happen. Our people on the shop floor producing innovative, sustainable products. Our people in our offices delivering excellence for our customers every day. It’s every one of us working together.

We offer a place where you can feel safe, be supported, and make an impact so we can all focus on the future together.

Use extensive product and process knowledge to solve complex technical issues. Must be capable of understanding and providing meaningful feedback and direction to employees that are working on technical projects.

Knowledge of material sciences and impact on processing equipment. Possess a working knowledge of the various resins in the market including those being developed today (compostable, PCR, biodegradable) and how that will interact with existing installed equipment base. Develop and innovate alternative processing paths.

Support sales, marketing, and manufacturing in the development of new plastic products (existing and alternative resins) along with associated equipment. Sales are supported by reviewing new potential products by supplying product and equipment quotes. Marketing is supported by supplying concepts and designs for new plastic products. Manufacturing is supported by supplying detailed support of CEP’s, equipment selection, and line layouts for new and existing plastic products.

Manage project resources, budgets, project timelines, and customer expectations. Expedite what is needed to get the project done on time, on budget. Anticipate delays or potential technical problems. Develop and implement contingencies as needed and direct team and the organization to resolve problems and complete projects. Coordinate resources, evaluate individual project status, and ensure that the Plastic Innovation team stays on schedule and is going down the right path.

• Manage Plastic Innovation trial lines and lab technicians.
• Supports business project requests/quotes, sample requests, and product inquiries.
• Manages engineering design group, and updates purchases of new and replacement injection molding and thermoforming tooling.
• Understand and manipulate the use of materials (traditional and alternative resins) in packaging construction. Materials include paper and laminated paperboard, films, thermoforming, and injection molded plastics.
• Identify and qualify alternate or new materials for existing and new product applications such as biodegradable, compostable and PCR resins.
• Responsible for managing material qualification process (MQ) to qualify new materials. Lead the overall MQ process, facilitate MQ project activity between Innovation and the cross‑functional teams including operations, sales, and supply chain. Maintain status updates on all ongoing MQ activities and assist in presenting monthly status updates.
• Stay on trends in fast‑changing sustainable (alternative) material developments. Investigate and vet new trial materials candidates.
• Direct trial activities through external and/or internal resources.
• Oversee and manage lab technicians. The analytical test and analysis on the physical properties of the finished plastic products. Perform competitive analysis of DoE experiments, root cause analysis, and other analysis to support WCO activity. Maintain a fundamental understanding of tests conducted in the lab. Data generated in the lab is used in the decision or problem‑solving process, root cause analysis, etc.
  
  Manage the creation of new and unique test procedures to identify characteristics within materials or packaging systems that can influence the performance outcome.
• Assure that all packaging produced meets federal, state, and customer standards. Research federal regulations. Be the plastics product steward within the department and…