Manager of New Product Development - Healthcare Labels

Spherical Search is working with an industry-leading manufacturer of secondary packaging and labels for the healthcare space to identify a Manager of Smart Packaging & New Product Development. This is a strategic opportunity for an innovative packaging professional to lead the development of next-generation packaging solutions, identify emerging market opportunities, and translate customer needs into commercially viable products.

** We can also hire someone in one of the following locations: North Carolina; Sioux Falls, SD; Upland, CA; or St. Louis, MO ***

The Manager will play a key role in shaping the company's innovation strategy, working closely with customers, Sales, Marketing, Manufacturing, and external partners to bring new packaging concepts from ideation through commercialization.

Reporting Relationships

Reports To: Group Vice President, Healthcare & Specialty Worldwide

Supervisory Responsibilities: R&D / New Product Development Team

Position Summary

The Manager of Smart Packaging & New Product Development is responsible for supporting and executing the strategy, development, and commercialization of innovative secondary packaging solutions, with a particular focus on smart packaging and emerging technologies.

This role will identify target markets and customer opportunities, assess market demands and industry trends, develop new product concepts, and coordinate cross-functional teams through the product development and commercialization process.

The Manager will also serve as a key resource in customer engagements, including senior-level presentations, helping customers understand how innovative packaging solutions can address their business, operational, and market objectives.

Essential Functions

Strategic Leadership

• Support the development and execution of the Smart Packaging and New Product Development strategy in alignment with overall business objectives.
• Establish priorities based on market opportunity, customer needs, technology trends, and commercial potential.
• Partner with leadership to identify opportunities for growth through new products, technologies, and packaging solutions.
• Help maintain and develop a forward-looking innovation pipeline.

Smart Packaging & Innovation

• Lead the ideation, conceptualization, design, and development of innovative secondary packaging solutions.
• Identify and evaluate emerging technologies, materials, processes, and market trends relevant to healthcare packaging.
• Define target market segments and customer applications for smart packaging and new product opportunities.
• Translate customer challenges and market demands into differentiated packaging concepts and commercially viable solutions.
• Maintain a strong understanding of competitive products, industry developments, and evolving customer requirements.
• Evaluate opportunities for connected, intelligent, interactive, and technology-enabled packaging solutions.

New Product Development

• Lead the development of new packaging products from initial concept through prototyping, testing, commercialization, and market launch.
• Work closely with design and technical teams to develop prototypes and conduct feasibility assessments.
• Evaluate new product concepts for functionality, manufacturability, scalability, cost, and market potential.
• Recommend design modifications to improve product performance, efficiency, manufacturability, and cost.
• Establish development priorities and ensure projects progress efficiently through the product development lifecycle.
• Collaborate with Sales and Marketing to develop go-to-market strategies and successful product launch plans.
• Monitor product performance following launch and identify opportunities for enhancement or next-generation development.

Customer Engagement

• Represent the R&D and innovation function in customer presentations and meetings.
• Support senior-level and C-suite customer presentations involving innovative packaging concepts and solutions.
• Clearly communicate the strategic and commercial value of new packaging technologies and solutions.
• Partner with Sales and Marketing to develop customer-specific presentations and solutions aligned with business objectives.
• Serve as a trusted innovation partner to key customers and strategic accounts.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate closely with Manufacturing, Sales, Marketing, Quality, Operations, and other internal functions to ensure new product initiatives align with customer needs and production capabilities.
• Partner with external suppliers, technology providers, research institutions, and other strategic partners to expand innovation capabilities.
• Maintain clear communication with stakeholders throughout the development process.
• Ensure product requirements and changes are effectively communicated as projects progress.

Project & Product Lifecycle Management

• Oversee the planning, execution, and completion of new product development and R&D projects.
• Establish project milestones, timelines, budgets, and deliverables.
• Monitor project progress and adjust priorities or strategies as necessary.
• Manage products throughout their lifecycle, from initial concept and development through commercialization, market growth, optimization, and product evolution.
• Gather and evaluate customer and market feedback to identify opportunities for new features, enhancements, and future product development.

Team Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and develop members of the R&D and New Product Development team.
• Establish clear objectives and accountability for assigned projects and initiatives.
• Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.
• Provide coaching and development opportunities to support the team's technical and professional growth.

Cost & Commercial Optimization

• Partner with Finance and other stakeholders to effectively manage R&D and product development budgets.
• Evaluate new product opportunities based on commercial potential, cost, scalability, and return on investment.
• Identify opportunities to optimize product design and manufacturing costs without compromising quality, performance, or customer value.
• Balance innovation objectives with practical considerations around manufacturability and commercial viability.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Engineering, Packaging Science, Business, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
• Significant experience in packaging, product development, R&D, innovation, or a related field.
• Experience within healthcare, pharmaceutical, medical device, or other highly regulated packaging environments is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience developing and commercializing new products.
• Experience presenting to senior executives and customer stakeholders.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams and managing complex product development initiatives.

Skills & Competencies

Innovation & Product Development

• Strong ability to identify market opportunities and translate customer needs into innovative products.
• Demonstrated understanding of the product development lifecycle.
• Ability to assess new technologies and determine their commercial applicability.
• Strong understanding of packaging design, manufacturing, and commercialization considerations.

Strategic Thinking

• Ability to develop and execute product and innovation strategies.
• Strong commercial orientation with the ability to connect product development to revenue and market growth.
• Ability to evaluate competitive landscapes, market trends, and customer demands.

Leadership

• Proven ability to lead and develop high-performing teams.
• Strong communication, influencing, and stakeholder-management skills.
• Ability to work effectively with executive leadership and cross-functional teams.

Customer Focus

• Strong customer-facing presence and communication skills.
• Ability to understand customer challenges and develop solutions that create measurable business value.
• Experience gathering, analyzing, and incorporating customer feedback into product strategy.

Project Management

• Strong organizational and project management capabilities.
• Ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously while maintaining focus on priorities, timelines, and budgets.
• Demonstrated ability to drive projects from concept through commercialization.