Engineer - Product Development

About the role

We are seeking a Project Development Engineer to support the successful development, testing, and commercialization of new products across our Wisconsin manufacturing facilities. This role serves as a key technical liaison between Innovation, Operations, Quality, Procurement, Customer Service, and customers to ensure new business opportunities are effectively transitioned from concept through production. The ideal candidate combines strong technical expertise with project management skills and thrives in a fast-paced manufacturing environment. You will lead product trials, support material qualifications, optimize manufacturing processes, and help introduce innovative packaging solutions that meet customer expectations and business objectives.

Responsibilities

• Manage new product development projects and monitor progress against critical milestones and customer delivery timelines.
• Develop and execute trial plans, testing protocols, and validation activities for new business opportunities.
• Determine product structures and specifications and ensure accurate setup within company systems.
• Partner with Quality teams to design trials that identify potential quality risks and establish preventive controls.
• Lead and support production trials, troubleshoot manufacturing challenges, and make technical recommendations during trial execution.
• Analyze trial results and prepare post-trial documentation, including process observations, machine performance, and testing outcomes.
• Ensure technical documentation is complete to support customer quotations and successful product commercialization.
• Maintain and update product specifications, run sheets, bills of materials, and related records.
• Collaborate with Procurement and suppliers to qualify new and alternative raw materials.
• Develop material specifications and communicate processing requirements to suppliers.
• Support product and process validation activities across manufacturing sites.
• Stay current on emerging materials, technologies, and packaging processing advancements.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on quality, efficiency, and waste reduction.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
• Comply with all ProAmpac safety, quality, operational, and employment policies.
• Support and uphold all food safety, quality, and prerequisite program requirements.
• Stop work and report unsafe conditions or practices immediately.
• Remove unsafe equipment from operation and notify management.
• Identify, document, and address quality-related issues and non-conformances.
• Support corrective actions and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Ensure products,