R&D Leader - Flexible Packaging - First Quality : Job Details

Founded over 35 years ago, First Quality is a family-owned company that has grown from a small business in McElhattan, Pennsylvania into a group of companies, employing over 5,000 team members, while maintaining our family values and entrepreneurial spirit. With corporate offices in New York and Pennsylvania and 8 manufacturing campuses across the U.S. and Canada, the companies within the First Quality group produce high-quality personal care and household products for large retailers and healthcare organizations. Our personal care and household product portfolio includes baby diapers, wipes, feminine pads, paper towels, bath tissue, adult incontinence products, laundry detergents, fabric finishers, and dishwash solutions. In addition, we manufacture certain raw materials and components used in the manufacturing of these products, including flexible print and packaging solutions.

Guided by our values of humility, unity, and integrity, we leverage advanced technology and innovation to drive growth and create new opportunities. At First Quality, you'll find a collaborative environment focused on continuous learning, professional development, and our mission to Make Things Better®.

We are seeking a Product Development Leader for our Flexible Packaging Company, specializing in the extrusion, printing, and lamination of high-performance films that form the foundation of innovative flexible packaging solutions. This position will provide strategic leadership in the creation and development of cutting-edge technologies for the flexible packaging industry, with a strong focus on advancing material science in film manufacturing to drive industry-leading innovation. As a key member of the business unit leadership team, this role will collaborate with cross-functional colleagues to propel the business forward through groundbreaking advancements. Additionally, this role offers the opportunity to build and lead a team of Product Development professionals at various levels, prioritizing their professional growth and development to foster a culture of excellence and creativity.

Primary responsibilities include:

• Providing oversight for the evaluation of existing technologies, implementation of new methodologies, materials, processes, and equipment; and the development of new technologies from initial design through market release, with an emphasis on optimizing film extrusion, printing, and lamination for superior performance and sustainability
• Managing an innovative and diverse consumer goods product portfolio within the flexible packaging industry, leveraging deep material science expertise to enhance film properties and enable advanced printing and lamination techniques
• Executing projects in a timely, diligent, safe, and professional manner, while contributing to the growth of the team and department through innovative problem-solving rooted in material science principles
• Collaborating with cross-functional teams in Product Development, Engineering, Finance, Legal, Manufacturing, Marketing, and Suppliers (through Purchasing) to integrate material science insights into holistic packaging solutions
• Supporting existing business product cost improvements to meet budgeted goals through product redesigns, focusing on material optimizations in film manufacturing that improve efficiency, recyclability, and performance
• Coaching and developing direct reports to enhance team performance toward department objectives, emphasizing the application of material science knowledge in film extrusion, printing, and lamination
• Leading teams of product developers to formulate base product strategies and execute project plans that align with the business vision, solve consumer problems for both branded and private label teams, and position the company as an industry leader in innovative flexible packaging
• Overseeing the full product life cycle from concept through commercialization, including cost optimization, consumer testing, substantiation of product claims, and intellectual property strategy, with a core focus on material science-driven innovations in film manufacturing
• Collaborating with technical teams to develop multi-year strategies that assess the feasibility of new ideas, particularly those involving advanced polymers, film structures, and sustainable materials for extrusion, printing, and lamination processes

The ideal candidate should possess the following:

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field required; Master's or PhD in material science, polymer engineering, chemical engineering, or a related physical science preferred
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in flexible packaging, with extensive expertise in material science applied to film manufacturing, including deep knowledge of polymer science, extrusion processes, lamination techniques, printing technologies, and recycling methods to create high-quality films that excel in barrier properties, durability, and printability
• Minimum of 3 years leading and managing team members, with a proven track record of mentoring in material science and film production contexts
• Excellent communication, leadership, and team-building skills, with a strong ability and desire to collaborate across functions to drive innovation in material science and film manufacturing
• Knowledge of and experience with developing flexible packaging for the retail market, emphasizing how material science in film extrusion, printing, and lamination enables superior product performance and consumer appeal
• Experience defining and documenting approved design specifications from concept through commercialization, with a focus on material formulations and film structures that support advanced printing and lamination
• In-depth working knowledge of materials (e.g., polymers, resins, additives) and suppliers common to the flexible packaging industry, including those specializing in sustainable and high-performance films
• Experience with the process of searching, evaluating, and filing patents, particularly for innovations in material science and film manufacturing technologies
• Experience providing direction for the physical testing of hypotheses related to film properties, resulting in specific conclusions and recommendations that advance extrusion, printing, and lamination capabilities
• Solid analytical skills, with working knowledge of statistics and proficiency in computer tools such as Word, Excel, and specialized software for material analysis and simulation
• Cross-functionally collaborative – a true team player committed to leveraging material science expertise to lead industry innovation
• Able to travel to conferences, suppliers, or manufacturing plants for product and process trials, customer meetings, and other business-related activities

What We Offer You

We believe that by continuously improving the quality of our benefits, we can help to raise the quality of life for our team members and their families. At First Quality you will receive:

• Competitive base salary and bonus opportunities
• Paid time off (three-week minimum)
• Medical, dental and vision starting day one
• 401(k) with employer match
• Paid parental leave
• Child and family care assistance (dependent care FSA with employer match up to $2500)
• Bundle of joy benefit (years' worth of free diapers to all team members with a new baby)
• Tuition assistance
• Wellness program with savings of up to $4,000 per year on insurance premiums
• ...and more!

First Quality is committed to protecting information under the care of First Quality Enterprises commensurate with leading industry standards and applicable regulations. As such, First Quality provides at least annual training regarding data privacy and security to employees who, as a result of their role specifications, may come in to contact with sensitive data.

First Quality is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identification, or protected Veteran status.