Lead Process Engineer

Join the team behind iconic brands like Huggies®, Kleenex®, Cottonelle®, Scott®, Kotex®, Poise®, Depend®, and Kimberly-Clark Professional®. At Kimberly-Clark, you’ll find innovation, growth, and the chance to make a real impact—exploring uncharted questions, engineering solutions, and advancing scientific understanding to push boundaries and improve lives for billions worldwide.

About the role

As the Lead Process Engineer, you will work on a Research & Development team to develop and commercialize innovation programs for the Kleenex consumer facial tissue business. Your focus will be on tissue machine and converting assets, driving innovation to launch new products, develop new process capabilities, and commercialize new manufacturing operations at pilot and commercial scale. This role involves broad collaboration within the corporation, including R&D, pilot plant, mill operations, and cross-functional disciplines.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership in safety, ethics, quality, regulatory, and sustainability, ensuring alignment with corporate Human Resources Development and Diversity policies.
• Embody and promote the One KC Ways of Working.
• Coach and mentor team members to enhance technical understanding and execution of programs that improve Family Care’s business results.
• Conceive, develop, validate, and share ideas leading to new or improved products, processes, materials, systems, or scientific knowledge aligned with business unit objectives.
• Maintain technical and scientific expertise in a specialized area and communicate its impact on Kimberly-Clark.
• Drive a culture of protected and documented innovation to safeguard K-C’s proprietary technology, products, and processes through patents and trade secrets.
• Communicate effectively and with integrity with all internal and external customers to build a strong business reputation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college/university.
• 3+ years of experience in product development, technology development, or executing consumer and/or technical/scientific studies.
• Strong communication skills and ability to influence leadership across R&E and cross-functional organizations.
• Demonstrated strengths in scientific experiment methods/analysis, planning/organizing, developing learning plans, comprehension of technical literature, and executing consumer research.
• Experience in executing consumer research through various market research methodologies and test methods.
• Ability to provide work direction to team members not in a direct reporting relationship.
• 15-25% travel.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a Science-related field.
• 5+ years of relevant experience.
• Experience in product development, tissue processes, design of experiments, data analysis, and safe operation of high-speed manufacturing/converting equipment.
• Focus on supporting the Facial Tissue business, leading product and material optimization projects.
• Strong analytical skills and proficiency in Quality and Specification Management (PLM) systems.
• Awareness of competitive technologies and innovation.
• Demonstrated ability to coach and be coached, including mentoring less-experienced scientists/engineers.

Benefits

Kimberly-Clark offers a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• 401(k) and Profit Sharing plan.
• Flexible work model blending remote work with in-person collaboration.
• Resources for career development, wellbeing, and inclusion.

For a complete overview, visit www.mykcbenefits.com.

Pay

Salary Range: $87,260 – $107,780 USD (for US locations only). Actual pay will depend on location, skills, performance, and experience. This position is also eligible for a target bonus.

Primary location: Neenah - West R&E Office. This is a full-time, employee role.