Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. DSJ Global is recruiting for an unnamed manufacturer of specialty paper and packaging solutions. The Senior Product Development Manager will lead product development and commercialization, identify market opportunities, and partner with cross-functional teams to deliver profitable growth through innovation.
Responsibilities
- Lead new product development initiatives through a structured stage-gate process, overseeing projects from concept development and feasibility assessment through validation, scale-up, commercialization, and launch
- Evaluate market opportunities and identify areas for growth by assessing customer needs, competitive activity, market trends, pricing strategies, and operational capabilities
- Collaborate with commercial teams to prioritize opportunities that align with business objectives and manufacturing capabilities
- Define product specifications and technical requirements based on customer expectations, performance objectives, manufacturing constraints, and quality standards
- Translate customer requirements into scalable product and process solutions that can be successfully commercialized across multiple manufacturing locations
- Develop and manage project budgets related to product development activities, including testing, trials, raw materials, coatings, converting, customer qualifications, and commercialization efforts
- Partner with finance and business leaders to build detailed business cases, including revenue projections, profitability models, capital investment assumptions, pricing strategies, and return-on-investment analyses
- Coordinate laboratory testing, pilot trials, production trials, customer evaluations, and product validation activities
- Support scale-up efforts and commercialization activities by providing technical leadership during manufacturing implementation and customer adoption
- Monitor product performance after launch, evaluating financial results, operational performance, quality metrics, customer acceptance, and overall value realization
- Prepare and present project updates, executive summaries, risk assessments, development plans, and commercialization recommendations to senior leadership
- Serve as a technical resource for internal teams, customers, and suppliers while helping drive continuous improvement and innovation initiatives
Skills
- Bachelor's degree in Paper Science, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Packaging, or a related technical discipline
- Minimum of 10 years of experience within specialty paper, paper manufacturing, packaging, converting, coatings, food service packaging, or related industrial manufacturing environments
- Demonstrated success leading new product development and commercialization efforts from concept through market launch
- Strong understanding of paper manufacturing processes, fiber-based products, converting operations, coating technologies, and packaging applications
- Experience working with functional coatings, barrier technologies, oil and grease resistant coatings, water-based coatings, laminations, or specialty surface treatments
- Knowledge of paper performance characteristics, including basis weight, caliper, strength properties, printability, convertibility, surface characteristics, and quality systems
- Experience developing and executing plant trials, pilot trials, product validations, and customer qualification programs
- Proven ability to manage multiple technical projects simultaneously while balancing timelines, resources, budgets, and business objectives
- Strong understanding of stage-gate product development processes, project governance, and commercialization best practices
- Experience developing business cases that incorporate market analysis, pricing models, cost structures, profitability forecasts, and investment assumptions
- Ability to translate technical concepts into clear business recommendations for executive leadership and cross-functional teams
- Excellent communication and leadership skills with a demonstrated ability to influence stakeholders across operations, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, commercial, and executive functions
Benefits
- Remote work (extensive travel required; approximately 50–70% travel may be required depending on project needs).
Company Overview