Product Development & Quality Systems Manager

Pixelle Specialty Solutions is the largest specialty paper company in North America, with fully integrated pulp and paper operations in Chillicothe, Ohio, Spring Grove, Pennsylvania, Stevens Point, Wisconsin and a coating operation in Fremont, Ohio. Supported by an experienced Product Development team, Pixelle excels in designing customized solutions that help customers bring new products to market. With a long history of leadership in the paper industry, Pixelle delivers the most comprehensive portfolio of specialty papers to help you meet today's challenging demands.

Direct and manage the Product Development & Quality Assurance Department. Ensure customers' needs are consistently met by facilitating the interaction of customers, sales, and corporate Product Development with operating departments.  Responsible to develop new grades that provide a diverse and profitable mix.  Provide Leadership to the production line Quality Systems for both internal quality, external quality, and continuous improvement. Work with the manufacturing lines to obtain maximum productivity, lowest cost, while maintaining adherence to customer needs and specifications.  This position is also a member of the Mill's leadership team where they will provide overall leadership in the areas of safety, quality, environmental, productivity and financial leadership to the mill.

Accountabilities

• Actively engage in Mill safety initiatives by engaging self and others in safety related activities, including Key Safety Audits, Hazard recognition checks, safety accountability discussions and coaching conversations.
• Develop individual and department goals to achieve mill and corporate goals.
• Develop financially attractive grades to meet mill's increasing production capabilities.
• Reduce design costs of existing grades while maintaining adherence to customer needs and specifications.
• Develop defect resolution procedures to allow timely resolution of quality upsets.
• Ensure operating departments understand customer needs and end uses.
• Optimize coating formulations of existing and developmental grades to reduce overall cost of quality.
• Work closely with machine lines to improve productivity on new and existing grades.
• Work closely with machine lines to systematically reduce variability, minimize upsets, and create sustainable corrective actions.
• Ensure mill teams are proactively meeting with key customers to foster joint continuous improvement processes.
• Facilitate the interaction of sales, customers, corporate Product Development, and operating lines.
• Develop production standards, recipes, and cost estimates for new grades.
• Ensure existing grades have standards, specifications, recipes, and critical to quality information that is being maintained.
• Provide leadership in customer service and ensure we follow a claims process consistent with company policy.
• Ensure we address customer complaints, complete corrective actions, and pay customer claims.
• Ensure claims data, claims trends, and active customer issues are communicated to operations.
• Represent mill in Product Development efforts, working collaboratively with corporate Product Development.
• Utilize continuous improvement tools to reduce overall complaint costs and the cost of quality.
• Plan and execute mill Product Development trials, evaluations, and improvement projects.
• Make customer calls with sales and corporate Product Development representatives to build long-term relationships.
• Interact with suppliers, to address current and pending issues, and to also identify new technologies that will improve quality and/or reduce overall cost.
• Develop new testing protocols for newly developed products to ensure performance at the end user customer levels.
• Lead the mill Food Safety Program and ensure GMP are being followed.
• Ensure we are maintaining the accuracy of paper testing equipment and online gauges.
• Optimize Web inspection systems, ensuring resources are dedicated to its reliability and accuracy.
• Provide technical knowledge and leadership in the areas of fiber and papermaking raw material selection and usage.
• Ensure mill maintains ISO 9001 certification.
• Lead Stevens Point Mill Product team, focused on meeting customer's needs, mitigating risks, and capturing opportunities.
• Lead and/or participate on corporate quality and corporate variability reduction teams

• Bachelor's Degree in Paper Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or related field.
• Ten years or more of mill experience in production, Product Development, quality control or related areas or any equivalent combinations of education, training, and experience.
• Demonstrated leadership.
• Detailed understanding of wet end chemistry, paper machine operations, coating application, and finishing operations.
• Demonstrate strong financial acumen to develop and interpret business models to define competitive opening, entrance strategy, and value propositions.
• General understanding of rotogravure, offset and flexo printing technologies.

Skill/Competencies Required:

• Maintain effective communications and working relationships with team members in operations and sales and our customers.
• Utilize statistical tools to analyze and establish process capabilities for grade specifications.
• Work beyond normal work schedule as necessary to fulfill position responsibilities.

Normal Work Schedule Includes: Monday through Friday with weekend rotation and 24/7 trial coverage

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.