Senior Product Development Engineer

Senior Product Development EngineerSalary: $100,000 - $140,000 per yearLocation: Schaumburg, ILMinimum Degree:Relocation Assistance: Not AvailableOur client is a global manufacturer of specialty packaging and sealing technologies with a history dating back more than 130 years.The company develops and manufactures multilayer materials used to seal and protect products in the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care, and industrial markets.One of its primary products is the protective foil or plastic seal found underneath the cap of products such as peanut butter, vitamins, beverages, and other packaged goods.These seals are manufactured using combinations of plastic films, aluminum foil, paper, adhesives, coatings, and other materials that are laminated together to provide barrier protection, product freshness, leak prevention, and tamper evidence.The company has manufacturing operations internationally and is investing in expanding its global product development and R&D capabilities.Position OverviewWe are seeking a Senior Product Development Engineer with strong experience in adhesive lamination and/or extrusion lamination to develop new multilayer packaging materials and improve existing products.This is a hands-on engineering position focused on product development, materials, manufacturing processes, and commercialization.The engineer will work with manufacturing and technical teams globally to develop new products, conduct manufacturing trials, troubleshoot technical issues, and transition new products into commercial production.This is an individual contributor position with no direct reports.The company is also considering the development of a new R&D laboratory and potentially a pilot manufacturing facility in the Chicago area over the next two to three years. The person hired may have an opportunity to contribute to these future capabilities.Absolute Must-Have Qualifications1. Hands-On Adhesive Lamination Or Extrusion Lamination ExperienceThis is the most important requirement.Candidates must have direct, hands-on experience with at least one of the following:Adhesive lamination, including solvent-based, solventless, or water-based adhesive systems.Extrusion lamination involving the bonding of films, foil, paper, or other substrates using molten polymer.Candidates should understand:Lamination equipment and manufacturing processes.Adhesion and bonding between different substrates.Adhesive or resin selection and material compatibility.Bond strength, delamination, and related quality issues.Manufacturing trials, process parameters, and troubleshooting.Important for recruiters: Blown film extrusion, cast film extrusion, and multilayer coextrusion experience alone do not satisfy this requirement.These are related technologies, but they are not the same as adhesive or extrusion lamination.A candidate who has only manufactured multilayer coextruded film, without hands-on lamination experience, is not a direct match.2. Product Development / R&D Engineering ExperienceCandidates must have:At least 5 years of relevant engineering experience in product development, R&D, process development, or a closely related technical position.Experience developing new products or improving existing material structures.Experience evaluating materials, formulations, manufacturing processes, and product performance.Experience taking products from development through manufacturing trials and into commercial production.We are looking for someone who has been directly involved in developing products, not someone whose experience is limited to production supervision or routine manufacturing operations.3. Hands-On Manufacturing And Process Development ExperienceCandidates must have experience working directly with manufacturing equipment and production processes.This includes:Planning and executing manufacturing trials.Troubleshooting material, equipment, or processing problems.Establishing or improving manufacturing process parameters.Working with production teams to successfully commercialize new products.Evaluating product performance and manufacturing feasibility.This is not strictly a laboratory research position. The engineer must be comfortable working directly with manufacturing operations.Additional Required QualificationsBachelor's degree in Engineering, Materials Science, Chemistry, or a related technical discipline.Strong technical understanding of polymers, adhesives, coatings, or multilayer material structures.Ability to lead technical projects independently and collaborate with manufacturing, quality, and other engineering functions.Ability to work onsite in Schaumburg, Illinois.Preferred QualificationsThe following experience is highly desirable but is not an absolute requirement:Flexible packaging manufacturing or converting.Experience with multilayer film, foil, paper, or barrier packaging structures.Experience with both adhesive lamination and extrusion lamination.Knowledge of solventless adhesive systems.Extrusion coating or related converting technologies.Experience with barrier materials, including PE, PP, PET, nylon, EVOH, and aluminum foil.Experience with laboratory testing, pilot equipment, or new R&D facility development.Experience collaborating with international engineering and manufacturing teams.Experience with induction seals, cap liners, or other specialty sealing technologies.Previous experience manufacturing induction seals or cap liners is not required.Primary ResponsibilitiesLead new product development projects involving multilayer packaging and sealing materials.Develop and evaluate new combinations of films, foil, paper, adhesives, and coatings.Conduct lamination and manufacturing trials to evaluate new materials and processes.Troubleshoot adhesion, material compatibility, and manufacturing process issues.Work with manufacturing facilities to establish process parameters and commercialize new products.Evaluate new raw materials, technologies, and manufacturing equipment.Collaborate with global engineering, manufacturing, quality, and technical teams.Support the expansion of product development and R&D capabilities.Candidate Submission RequirementsRecruiters must confirm the following before submitting a candidate:Lamination experience: Has the candidate personally worked with adhesive lamination or extrusion lamination equipment? Specify which process and how many years.Materials: What substrates has the candidate laminated? Examples include plastic film to film, film to foil, or film to paper.Product development: What new products or laminated structures has the candidate personally developed or helped commercialize?Manufacturing experience: Has the candidate conducted manufacturing trials, established process parameters, or troubleshot lamination equipment?Location: Does the candidate currently live within commuting distance of Schaumburg, or would relocation be necessary?Compensation: What is the candidate's current base salary and expected compensation?Reason for looking: Why is the candidate considering a new opportunity?Candidates Who Are Not A MatchPlease do not submit candidates whose experience is limited to:Blown film or cast film extrusion without adhesive or extrusion lamination experience.Multilayer coextrusion without separate-substrate lamination experience.Printing operations without hands-on lamination experience.Injection molding, thermoforming, or rigid packaging without relevant lamination experience.Manufacturing management without hands-on product development or process engineering experience.Academic research without relevant industrial manufacturing and commercialization experience.Ideal Candidate BackgroundsStrong candidates may currently hold titles such as:Senior Product Development EngineerSenior R&D EngineerLamination EngineerSenior Process Engineer, LaminationMaterials Development EngineerFlexible Packaging Development EngineerTechnical Development EngineerPackaging R&D EngineerCandidates may come from flexible packaging converters, adhesive laminators, extrusion laminators, specialty film manufacturers, or other industries using similar