Product Development Engineering Manager

Ppc Industries - Pleasant Prairie, WI

Full-time - Mid Level

Pleasant Prairie, WI

Paper Manufacturing

About the position

The Product Development Engineering Manager will play a crucial role in leading and developing a motivated engineering team focused on new product development. This position involves overseeing all new product development projects from the initial idea conception through to the transfer to commercial manufacturing. The ideal candidate will be a technical leader with a strong track record of maximizing business impact, investing in talent development, and actively engaging in hands-on activities to drive product and process excellence. In this role, the manager will discover and explore new business opportunities, identify unmet customer and market needs, and leverage technology opportunities to fill the product pipeline. The manager will effectively lead cross-functional teams throughout the product development lifecycle, ensuring that the commercial teams receive the necessary technical support for films used in medical devices, food, and industrial applications. The manager will also lead customer-specific projects, aligning and delivering on expectations regarding timelines, scope, and costs. The responsibilities include defining and managing project activities for the commercial release of new products and their corresponding manufacturing processes, ensuring that operations are sustainable, efficient, repeatable, and reproducible. The manager will translate customer needs into quantifiable Critical to Quality (CTQ) metrics, develop verification and validation plans, and collaborate with site operations leadership to resolve technical challenges. Additionally, the manager will drive capital investments, apply risk management best practices, and effectively communicate technical information to diverse audiences, connecting technical concepts to business outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day coaching, direction, and accountability to the engineering team.
• Oversee all new product development projects from conception to commercial manufacturing.
• Drive technological and process improvement activities.
• Discover and explore new business opportunities and unmet customer needs.
• Lead cross-functional teams throughout the product development lifecycle.
• Support commercial teams by providing technical leadership for films in various applications.
• Execute customer-specific projects by aligning expectations for timelines, scope, and costs.
• Define and manage project activities for the commercial release of new products.
• Translate customer needs into quantifiable CTQs for project scoping and progress reporting.
• Develop verification and validation plans, including protocols and test methods.
• Collaborate with site operations leadership to resolve technical challenges.
• Drive capital investments, including budgeting and execution of capital projects.
• Apply risk management best practices throughout the development process.
• Communicate effectively in a cross-functional organization and present technical information to diverse audiences.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or equivalent experience in a related field.
• 5+ years of industry experience in polymer extrusion and converting.
• 4+ years in leadership roles.
• Demonstrated ability to apply tools within Project Management, Design of Experiment, Design for Lean Six Sigma, and Statistical Analysis.
• Track record of being resourceful and innovative in driving projects to completion.
• Experience as a project manager on projects involving all phases of product design and development.
• Demonstrated success in developing full-scale project plans.
• Effective communication of project expectations to team members and stakeholders.
• Experience managing financial responsibilities for major programs, including budget accountability and revenue recognition.
• Demonstrated ability to problem solve and identify errors and deficiencies.

Nice-to-haves

• Master's Degree in Engineering discipline.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Project.
• Demonstrated ability to complete product design transfers.
• High degree of understanding of ISO 13485 requirements for Design Controls.
• Knowledge of applicable standards for EtO sterilization.