Technical Services Manager

Company Overview

Why Choose Us?

Novolex is a leading manufacturer of food, beverage, and specialty packaging that supports multiple industries including food service, restaurant delivery and carryout, food processing, grocery and retail, and industrial sectors. Novolex manufacturing and sourcing expertise spans a diverse range of substrates including resin, paper, molded fiber, aluminum and more. We provide customers a broad array of stock and customized solutions with 120 product categories, 250 brands and over 39,000 SKUs.

Our Sustainability Commitment

The Novolex sustainability vision is built upon three pillars: our products, our operations and our people. Each is critically important to our growth and future as a business. These pillars form the foundation of our company-wide commitment to sustainability, helping us achieve our ambitious goals through our wide-ranging initiatives.

Job Description

POSITION PURPOSE

The Technical Services Manager provides strategic and operational leadership for the development and improvement of flexible packaging films and bags. This hands-on leadership role bridges the gap between sales, R&D, and manufacturing, ensuring new products and process improvements are executed efficiently from concept to commercialization. The manager will lead a team to optimize materials, reduce costs, troubleshoot production issues, and ensure compliance with food safety regulations (FDA/SQF).

This position is critical to ensure the plant remains competitive through innovation, quality, and operational efficiency in a highly technical production environment.

A reasonable estimate of the current range is $,000 + performance based bonus + benefits. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target salaries for the position across all US locations. Within the range, individual pay is determined by job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. At Novolex, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at the top of the range for their role and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case.

The benefits for this role include 401(k) plan with company match, comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, flexible spending and health savings accounts, paid vacation, and sick days, free onsite clinic, paid parental leave, paid holidays and wellness program.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND KEY RESPONSIBILITES

1. Follow all safety policies, procedures, and practices.

a. Must keep work area clean and safe.

b. Understanding and daily practice of 5S.

c. Communicate with all required personnel inside and outside the company.

2. Follow all food safety and consumer safety policies, procedures, and practices.

a. Participate in GMP and food safety training.

b. Reports all food safety concerns with urgency.

3. Technical Leadership & Team Management.

a. Lead, mentor, and train a team of engineers and technicians, setting clear performance expectations and project milestones.

4. Product Development & Technical Support

a. Serve as the technical point of contact for clients, providing expertise in resin selection, film processing, and bag converting.

b. Develop and implement best practices for extrusion, winding, and downstream converting processes.

5. Manufacturing Optimization.

a. Troubleshoot on-site process issues, perform root cause analysis (CAPA), and implement corrective actions for films, bags, and lamination.

b. Lead Operational Excellence (OPX
360) as the CI Champion for the facility.

6. Material & Process Improvement.

a. Identify, evaluate, and validate new raw materials (resins, additives, inks, adhesives) and technologies to improve performance, enhance sustainability, and reduce costs.

b. Manage product trials, new product introductions (NPI), and capital projects to ensure smooth application for clients.

c. Maintain compliance with food safety regulations (FDA, SQF) and ISO quality management systems.

d. Collaborate with production teams to improve efficiency, reduce scrap, and enhance product consistency.

e. Collaborate with Plant Engineer Manager and maintenance team to optimize equipment performance, diagnose equipment issues, improve reliability, and implement upgrades to support process efficiency and product quality.

QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION/CERTIFICATION:

* Bachelor's degree in Polymer Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Packaging Science or related field.

* Six Sigma or Lean Manufacturing Certification preferred

EXPERIENCE/KNOWLEDGE

REQUIRED:

* 5+ years of experience in flexible packaging manufacturing (film extrusion, converting, printing, or lamination preferred)

* Deep expertise in polymer extrusion, laminating adhesives, and converting equipment.

* Proven experience leading technical teams in a fast-paced, 24/7 manufacturing environment.

* Proficient in ERP systems (SAP, Oracle), CAD and Microsoft Suite.

* Strong communication skills. Ability to translate complex technical issues to non-technical stakeholders.

* Strong…