Prototype & Product Testing Manager

Prototype & Product Testing Manager

The Prototype & Product Testing Manager leads two critical capabilities within the Novolex Innovation organization: hands-on prototyping for the Applied Innovation Center (AIC) and structured product testing in support of product development, competitive assessment, and claims substantiation. This role serves customers and product lines across the full Novolex portfolio, spanning flexible films, bags and sacks, foodservice packaging, and specialty substrates, acting as the technical bridge between customer-facing innovation sessions and rigorous lab-based evaluation. The role ensures Novolex can demonstrate product performance credibly and develop new solutions rapidly across all substrate platforms.

Key Responsibilities

Applied Innovation Center Prototyping

• Lead all prototyping activity within the AIC, producing samples and demonstrations for customer innovation sessions, co-development engagements, and internal concept validation across all Novolex product lines and substrate types.
• Translate customer briefs and product development requests into tangible prototypes at lab or pilot scale, coordinating with material suppliers, equipment vendors, and internal R&D teams.
• Maintain and operate AIC prototyping equipment across relevant converting, fabrication, and processing platforms, ensuring readiness and capability for customer visits and internal programs.
• Develop and document standard operating procedures for prototype production, ensuring traceability and repeatability of all samples regardless of substrate or product category.
• Collaborate with Directors of Innovation and Innovation team members across business units to prioritize prototype requests and manage the AIC prototype pipeline.
• Support preparation of materials, physical samples, and technical demonstrations for customer innovation sessions hosted at the Roanoke Innovation Center.

Product Testing Development, Competitive & Claims Support

• Design and execute test plans to assess new materials, structures, formulations, and product concepts against defined performance criteria and specifications across all substrate categories in the Novolex portfolio.
• Lead competitive product assessments, receiving, conditioning, testing, and benchmarking competitor products across relevant performance attributes appropriate to each substrate and end-use application.
• Support the substantiation of commercial claims by designing appropriate test protocols, maintaining documentation, and partnering with Product Managers on claims language across product lines.
• Support the Product Managers to build and maintain a structured competitive intelligence testing library, cataloging data by product category, substrate type, competitor, and performance attribute for ongoing commercial reference.
• Partner with the analytical testing and product development teams across the organization to integrate testing results into stage-gate decisions, product launches, and customer-facing presentations.
• Ensure all testing activities comply with relevant ASTM, ISO, and internal test standards; identify gaps and recommend additions to the test method library as new product lines or substrates are added to scope.

Collaboration & Communication

• Serve as the primary point of contact between the Innovation organization and external testing partners or contract labs when specialized testing is required.
• Communicate test results clearly in written reports and verbal briefings; translate technical data into insights usable by Directors of Innovation, Sales, and leadership across all business units.
• Mentor junior lab technicians or intern contributors working on testing or prototype projects.
• Participate in cross-functional project teams across product lines and business units, providing testing and prototype input at key milestones regardless of substrate or end-use application.
• Build fluency across the Novolex portfolio to serve as a credible technical resource for any product line engaging the AIC or requesting testing support.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Materials Science, Polymer Science, Packaging Science, Chemical Engineering, or a closely related technical discipline.
• 5+ years of hands-on experience in packaging, materials product development, or testing environments; experience with more than one substrate category strongly preferred.
• Proficient with standard packaging and materials test methods (ASTM, ISO, TAPPI, and similar); ability to identify and apply appropriate methods across a broad range of substrates and product formats.
• Demonstrated ability to operate and troubleshoot lab or pilot-scale processing and converting equipment.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple concurrent prototype and testing projects spanning different product categories and timelines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to present technical findings to non-technical audiences including commercial and executive stakeholders.

Preferred

• Hands-on experience across more than one substrate platform (e.g., flexible films, rigid or semi-rigid packaging, paper-based substrates, foodservice materials, etc).
• Experience supporting customer-facing innovation, co-development, or open innovation programs.
• Exposure to claims substantiation processes and commercial documentation requirements.
• Working knowledge of SPC, DOE, or structured problem-solving methodologies (Six Sigma, DMAIC).

Success Metrics

• Customer innovation session readiness: prototypes delivered on time and to specification for AIC visits across all product lines.
• Turnaround time on competitive testing and product development testing requests from Product Management.
• Breadth, accuracy, and completeness of the competitive product testing library across the Novolex portfolio.
• Quality and defensibility of test data supporting commercial claims across business units.
• Utilization, uptime, and expanding capability of AIC prototyping and testing equipment.
• Stakeholder satisfaction across business units served by the AIC and testing function.

Working Environment

This is a lab- and production-floor-based role requiring regular operation of processing, converting, and testing equipment across a range of material platforms. The position is based at the Novolex Innovation Center in Roanoke, TX. Periodic travel to Novolex manufacturing facilities, customer sites, or supplier locations may be required. Standard PPE requirements apply in all lab and production areas.