Senior Manager, Product Development

About Us

Novolex is a leading manufacturer of food, beverage, and specialty packaging supporting multiple industries including foodservice, restaurant delivery and carryout, food processing, grocery and retail, and industrial sectors. Our 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.

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.

About the Role

The Product Development Engineer for Industrial Flexible Films leads the design, development, and commercialization of blown polyethylene film products serving industrial applications. This role owns the technical work from concept through scale-up, translating customer and market needs into manufacturable film structures, driving performance and cost improvements on existing products, and advancing sustainability goals through PCR integration and mono-material recyclable designs. The engineer works hands-on at lab, pilot, and commercial scale, and partners closely with Product Management, Operations, Quality, Procurement, and Sales to bring robust products to market on time and within cost targets. This is a remote position with travel requirements; ideal candidates would be west-coast based due to sites being supported within this role.

Responsibilities

• Product & Process Development
  • Develop new and improved blown film products for industrial applications (e.g., stretch hood, shrink film, heavy-duty FFS sacks, lamination and converting films, agricultural and construction films).
  • Design multilayer coextruded film structures, including resin and additive selection, layer architecture, and gauge optimization to meet mechanical, optical, and sealing requirements.
  • Develop and optimize blown film extrusion processes; establish and document operating windows, and lead scale-up from lab/pilot to commercial lines.
  • Lead downgauging and cost-out programs that preserve or improve performance (puncture, dart, tear, tensile, elongation, holding force, seal integrity).
• Sustainability & Innovation
  • Integrate post-consumer recycled (PCR) content into industrial film structures while maintaining performance and processability.
  • Advance mono-material PE designs and design-for-recyclability in line with recognized protocols (e.g., APR / RecyClass).
  • Evaluate emerging resins, additives, and film technologies for application fit and competitive advantage.
• Testing & Characterization
  • Define test plans and interpret results across mechanical, optical, thermal, and sealing properties.
  • Apply structure–property relationships and polymer rheology to diagnose issues and guide formulation and process decisions.
  • Use Design of Experiments (DOE) and statistical methods to drive efficient, data-based development.
• Commercialization & Customer Support
  • Run trials at internal sites and customer/converter locations; support form-fill-seal, slitting, printing, and lamination processes.
  • Provide technical support to Sales and customers, including troubleshooting field performance.
  • Manage projects through the stage-gate process, with clear documentation, timelines, and cross-functional alignment.
• Cross-Functional & Documentation
  • Partner with Product Management on product roadmaps, specifications, and business cases.
  • Collaborate with Operations and Quality on manufacturability, specifications, and qualification.
  • Maintain thorough technical records; contribute to IP, specifications, and knowledge capture.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Polymer/Plastics Engineering, Materials Science, or a related technical field.
• 10+ years of experience in polyethylene film extrusion, flexible packaging, or converting.
• Working knowledge of blown film extrusion and multilayer coextrusion.
• Understanding of polyethylene resins (LDPE, LLDPE, mLLDPE, HDPE), additives, and structure–property relationships.
• Experience taking products from concept through scale-up and commercialization.
• Proficiency with DOE and statistical analysis; comfort interpreting film test data.
• Strong problem-solving, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Willingness to travel to manufacturing sites and customers.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a relevant engineering or polymer discipline.
• Direct experience with industrial film applications (stretch hood, shrink, FFS, lamination, ag/construction).
• Experience integrating PCR content and developing recyclable mono-material PE structures.
• Familiarity with recyclability protocols (APR, RecyClass) and relevant EPR/PCR regulatory drivers.
• Six Sigma / Lean certification (Green or Black Belt) and DMAIC project experience.
• Hands-on extrusion line and pilot-plant experience.

Skills

• Technical depth in polymer science and film processing
• Bias for action and hands-on experimentation
• Customer- and commercially-minded engineering judgment
• Disciplined project execution and documentation
• Collaboration across a matrixed, cross-functional organization

Pay

A reasonable estimate of the current range is $135,000 - $150,000 + bonus + benefits. The range displayed 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.

Benefits

• 401(k) plan with company match
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Flexible spending and health savings accounts
• Paid vacation and sick days
• Paid parental leave
• Paid holidays
• Wellness program

Company Benefits

• Well-being Resources
  • Comprehensive and competitive benefits including medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • Variety of well-being programs focused on mental, physical, and financial health
• Community Engagement
  • Focused Giving Program prioritizing support for organizations promoting sustainability initiatives or addressing food and hunger needs
  • Facility-level support of activities in communities where employees live and work
• Training and Development
  • Skills development and advanced education programs
  • Company and industry training curricula
  • Tuition Reimbursement Program (Non-Union)
  • Learning Management System supporting and enhancing employee skills