Product Development Specialist

Ontex is a leading international personal hygiene group. We engineer and make high quality products for Baby Care, Feminine Care and Adult Care and are the partner of choice for consumers, retailers, and institutional and private healthcare providers around the world. We distribute in more than 110 countries through leading retailer private labels, as well as under our own brands.

Job Title: Product Development Specialist

Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8am - 5pm

Location: Stokesdale, NC

Department: Research and Development (R&D)

Reports To: Principle Production Developer

Job Purpose

• Streamline compliance of selected innovation and customization projects through the stage & gate process for North America (Tijuana & Stokesdale plant).
• Support all the Product developer activities to fulfill Stage & Gate and First Time Right (FTR) processes.
• Provides reliable lab and competitors information.

Main Responsibilities and Key Tasks

• Multi category focus (Baby Diaper & Pants) for the Americas region.
• Obtains the prototypes in lab and/or in the lines.
• Responsible for maintains Items and cost base updated to allow product designer reliable information.
• Coordinates the benchmark files to assure updated information -electronic, booklets and executive summaries.
• Analyzes prototypes in lab with a research view -going deeper to provide relevant information to the product developer.
• Support product developer to keep administrative resources under control -trials reports, raw material and product inventories, trials calendar.
• Manages the priorities with lab team in a cross-functional and smart way.

Education Requirements

• Engineering degree, mechanical engineering, chemistry, material, or similar.
• Knowledge about production process and/or lab test methodologies, competitors benchmark studies.
• Good knowledge of MS Office.
• Knowledge in hygienic products and/or No wovens is desirable.
• Knowledge is SolidWorks/AutoCAD is desired.

Required Prior Work Experience

• Minimum 2 years in laboratory and/or multi-functional area.
• R&D or product design experiences would be a bonus,
• Base knowledge in polymers/plastics, design processes, research, knowledge in Nonwoven is desired.

Required Soft Skills

• Strong executive, communicative and organizational skills.
• Analytical skills.
• Dynamic, flexible and open minded (cross functional) team player who can work in a changing environment.
• Results oriented.

Job Complexity and Challenges

• Multifunctional scope of the job.
• Multi-cultural, cross functional teams to work.
• Interaction with multiple areas (operations, purchasing, planning, marketing, laboratory, QA).

Production Knowledge

• All product categories involved (Baby, Femi, Inco).

Business complexity

• Multifunctional role: interactions with various internal functions as procurement, operations, supply chain, marketing, sales, IP. Accountability and scope factors.
• Needs to guarantee on time and accurate information to the Product Development area.
• Needs to guarantee a raw material and finished good validation and proper documentation.
• Need to manage RM and Product Inventory for Product Development purposes.

Company Benefits

• 401(k) matching
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Health savings account
• Professional development assistance
• $2,000 Employee Referral Program
• Tuition reimbursement