Innovation Engineer - Sustainable Film Packaging

About the role

The Innovation Engineer will support the development and commercialization of sustainable flexible film-based packaging solutions (recyclable, PCR 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.

Responsibilities

• Knows and follows all safety policies and procedures
• Research, design, understand the fundamentals and develop new sustainable flexible film packaging platforms
• Stay 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
• Collaborate with global and national brands to develop innovative new product concepts
• Identify 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
• Support 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

Qualifications

• Master’s Degree required, preferably chemical engineering, Polymer/Film 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