Job Details

The Product Development Engineer manages the development, implementation and support of new technologies related to Roofing Components packaging products.  The engineer will develop and leverage their knowledge of customer, manufacturing & application needs to develop and launch effective product designs. Candidate will lead product development projects to successfully deliver significant growth for our Roofing Components business. The Product Development Engineer will work very closely with Product Management, Manufacturing, Science and Technology, Sourcing, Capital Engineering, Intellectual Property, Product Stewardship, and Marketing organizations to deliver on cross-functional initiatives.

This role will have three specific accountabilities:

• To engage and partner with customers, end-users, sales and marketing to identify and develop product features that customers value. 
  
• To partner with cross functional resources to develop and launch products that meet customer needs.  To serve as project manager and technical lead for product development projects. 
  
• To engage and partner within S&T and product management to inform and execute against Roofing Components innovation strategies and roadmaps

The position reports tothe Program Leader for Roofing Components Science and Technology

1. Demonstrate a commitment to safety

• Lead and participate in regular safety meetings and ensures compliance to standard safety procedures and OC corporate policies.
• Implement safety action plan; co-lead regular safety initiatives.
• Identify and eliminate work-place hazards.

1. Translate customer needs into product designs and technology platforms

• Interface with customers, sales and marketing to identify and develop product features that customers value
• Develop and leverage technical expertise in asphalt and polymer chemistry and processing as well as facer and reinforcement technologies to design prototypes for customer evaluation
• Partner with customers to iteratively evaluate prototypes to deliver customer-validated product designs
• Develop and execute testing plan to validate product performance
• Create and qualify product and test mimics as needed to validate performance
• Partner with plants and vendors to develop quality standards and specifications and enable robust manufacturing handoff
• Actively collect and analyze competitive product trends and utilize to drive product developments and technology platforms
  

1. Execute agile project leadership on programs

• Lead stage-gated product development projects from concept to commercialization
• Define, manage, and communicate the scope, timeline, and resources needed
• Identify, assess, and mitigate project risks
• Engage large cross-functional teams to ensure consistent alignment with the business strategy throughout the project and to ensure delivery of project objectives
• Collaborate and communicate effectively with people at all levels within the organization
  
  

1. Capture extensible knowledge within the organization

• Provide product training to sales and marketing to communicate product benefits, application methods and answer questions.
• Initiate and drive external relationships to build knowledge and product leadership
• Document and embed technical, customer and project management knowledge and approaches within the organization
  
  
  

Experience and Knowledge Requirements:

• BS required; MS or PhD preferred in Scientific or Engineering Degree.
• A minimum of 5 years of experience in an industrial research and development environment is required. 
• Demonstrated effective and agile project and technical leadership in R&D and manufacturing environments, especially leading front-end development projects.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and meet key milestones, to work and communicate effectively with people at all levels within the organization, and to contribute technical solutions.

• Proficiency in the appropriate definition and solution of technical problems.
• Prefer experience using statistics to drive efficient data-based decisions. 
• Prefer experience obtaining and translating customer insights into valuable product designs.
• Prefer experience generating Intellectual Property.

• Prefer technical knowledge and experience packaging products, processes, applications, and customers.
• Prefer experience with testing agencies and code bodies.
• Ability and desire to travel 30-50%.

Personal Characteristics:

Teamwork Oriented - Self-starter who works with minimal supervision that balances multiple assignments; works effectively across technology, marketing, and production groups to ensure project success

Accountability - knows what needs to be done and gets it done. Willingly takes responsibility for project outcomes as a whole; unafraid of owning the results, actions and decisions of self or organization. Committed to follow through to completion.

Judgment and Decision Making – Recognizes issues, problems, or opportunities and determines whether action is needed.  Chooses appropriate action by formulating clear decision criteria and evaluates options by considering implications and consequences.  Implements decisions or initiates action within a reasonable time.

Customer Driven - Always honors promises and treats customers the way they deserve to be treated, regardless of market conditions; and causes a brand experience that emotionally connects customers to our company.