Our client is one of the leading packaging companies for food, beverage, pharmaceutical, medical, home- and personal-care, and other products.

They're looking for an R&D Manager who will be a leader and support the execution of programs and achievement of the long-term goals and short-term business plan by overseeing R&D efforts in assigned areas/markets. Will be aligned with key market segments or technology thrust. Contributes to influencing decisions, semi-regularly outside of core area. Technical/product support across multiple products and/or processes – regularly includes key customers and/or initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Demonstrating safety as a core value and embedding the right behaviours in your team.
• Team leadership: talent and performance leadership, management and development.
• Aligning project priorities with business plan goals and leading a team to drive projects technically and administratively.
• Managing the execution of the project portfolio for assigned market and/or business.
• Identifying new product and market opportunities, building business cases and defining strategy with other functions.
• Planning the execution of new product development programs. Overseeing the concept to commercialization.
• Facilitating ownership for stage gate within the team and business.
• Ensuring the design of experiments and statistical data analysis is embedded within the team activities.
• Establishing the assignment of projects and managing technical resources responsible for conducting daily development and commercial support activities – (Work scope / Change control across direct reports).
• Overseeing customer-related opportunities by ensuring proper information gathering, arranging appropriate analytical support and interfacing with other employees, suppliers & customers.
• Investigating new customer requests and working with team members to develop and propose strategies to provide new packaging solutions to meet those needs.
• Developing or supporting the development of capital expense and project budgets for assigned area(s) of technology.
• Supporting the execution of new programs. Managing spend on assigned projects and reviewing regularly.
• Supporting proper initiation of capital projects as applicable – including working cross-functionally with all necessary teams to align from request to authorization to implementation.
• Partnering in the development of specifications for production equipment and the selection, purchase and installation of the equipment as applicable.
• Transferring technical information across regions, and working with the business group resources to fit the local organizational structure and culture to ensure project success.
• Ensuring appropriate project documentation and reporting.
• Partnering cross-functionally in supplier/vendor management.
• Establishing the assignment of projects and managing technical resources responsible for conducting daily development and commercial support activities – (Work scope / Change control across direct reports).
• Developing and protecting intellectual property in partnership with the Intellectual Property team.
• Leading sustainability initiatives, developing new solutions, transferring technology from other regions, and supporting customers in creating a sustainability roadmap.
• Handling relationship management, and working with the Global Project Team to secure the business for this project.
• Working in partnership with the global project team to ensure that Global and the strategies are aligned and complementary and agree with key deliverables/targets within the Project.
• Building key relationships across the functional teams to ensure effective problem management/resolution channels.
• Communicating the company's key learnings from process, system and sales resolution to reduce customer dissatisfaction and churn.
• Handling team management, participating, creating and leading cross-functional teams within the Project, developing team capabilities and ensuring. collaboration across all the other functional teams, BU teams and local contacts.

Qualifications / Requirements

• 10+ years of experience with demonstrated, progressive success in a technical capacity within a global manufacturing environment.
• 5 years prior leadership experience.
• Ability to work independently and proactively and manage project stream completion across functional and business unit lines.
• Flawless execution and delivery of results in a fast-paced environment with high EQ and excellent communication skills.
• Change management, establishing strong relationships quickly and managing the requirements of multiple key stakeholders effectively up, down and across the organization.
• Priority setting: managing parallel demands, at times with multiple internal customers, and multiple integrations.
• Global dexterity, including work across time zones, jurisdictions, and cultures.
• Communication - Influence others.
• Negotiation - leading team.
• Analytical and reporting.