Director, Materials & Product Innovation

We currently have an opportunity for a Director, Materials & Product Innovationat our Corporate Headquarters in Lake Forest, IL.

The Director, Materials and Product Innovation defines and leads the breakthrough innovation strategy for waste bags, polyethylene films, resin systems, and related raw materials. This position advances long-term growth through differentiated product platforms, material productivity, downgauging, recycled and alternative feedstocks, circular design, and emerging technologies. Applying deep expertise in polymer science, rheology, material performance, and manufacturing processes, the Director translates consumer, customer, market, and technical insights into scalable commercial solutions. The position provides strategic and technical leadership across Research and Development, Operations, Procurement, Marketing, Sales, Finance, Quality, Legal, and Sustainability. Through cross-functional partnerships and external innovation networks, the Director strengthens product performance, cost competitiveness, supply resilience, and sustainability while building technical capabilities that support long-term business growth.

You Will Have the Opportunity to Make Great Things Happen!

Innovation Strategy and Portfolio Leadership

• Establish and advance a three- to five-year breakthrough innovation pipeline for waste bags, tall kitchen bags, contractor bags, specialty liners, and related film-based product platforms.
• Translate consumer, retailer, competitive, regulatory, sustainability, and manufacturing insights into differentiated innovation strategies and validated project charters.
• Refine and implement stage-gate and technical risk management processes that prioritize projects based on business opportunity, strategic fit, consumer benefit, technical feasibility, intellectual property position, capital requirements, and financial return.
• Present technical recommendations, business cases, project updates, competitive assessments, and investment proposals to senior leadership and cross-functional governance teams.

Materials Science and Product Innovation

• Identify and commercialize raw material, resin, additive, colorant, tie-layer, recycled content, bio-circular, and alternative feedstock technologies that improve performance, cost, sustainability, and supply resilience.
• Direct rheological characterization of polyolefin resins, including melt flow behavior, molecular weight distribution indicators, shear response, extensional behavior, viscosity, elasticity, and processability relationships to improve resin selection, film extrusion performance, and finished bag properties.
• Drive innovation in blown film structures, coextrusion design, downgauging, draw tape systems, odor control, puncture and tear resistance, seal strength, stretch, aesthetics, and consumer-use performance.
• Develop material specifications, testing strategies, qualification protocols, and performance standards for new resin systems, recycled content streams, film structures, and converting technologies.

Commercialization and Cross-Functional Execution

• Lead cross-functional teams through the commercialization lifecycle, from discovery and ideation through benchtop trials, pilot trials, plant trials, qualification, scale-up, launch readiness, and post-launch learning.
• Partner with Procurement and Operations to improve raw material optionality, mitigate supply risk, qualify alternate sources, and support productivity initiatives without compromising product performance or brand equity.
• Build and manage strategic partnerships with resin suppliers, recyclers, compounders, additive providers, equipment suppliers, universities, startups, converters, and other external innovation partners.
• Apply open innovation, technology scouting, technology roadmapping, and supplier collaboration to identify emerging materials, process technologies, and circularity solutions for potential implementation in polyethylene operations.

Sustainability and Continuous Improvement

• Champion design for circularity, recycled content feasibility, packaging and product recyclability considerations, lifecycle impact thinking, and sustainability-linked material innovation.
• Advance material productivity, cost reduction, product performance, and manufacturing feasibility through technical innovation and material optimization.

Leadership and Talent Development

• Build, mentor, and develop technical talent while strengthening innovation capability, experimentation discipline, and a culture of speed, learning, collaboration, and accountability.

You Will Love It Here If...

• You listen, learn, and evolve
• You thrive in a fast-paced environment
• You put safety first, always
• You are passionate about collaboration, teamwork, and achieving shared goals
• You believe in treating all people with respect, operating ethically, and growing a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace
• You are committed to improving our impact on local communities and creating positive experiences

Education/Experience

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Chemistry, Materials Science, Polymer Science, or a related technical discipline.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in product innovation, materials science, polymer engineering, packaging, converting, operations, or technical commercialization, including demonstrated success leading technical teams and cross-functional programs from concept through commercialization.
• Ability to travel up to 25% to manufacturing sites, suppliers, recyclers, industry conferences, universities, equipment vendors, and customer or market-related events.

Preferred

• Experience developing and commercializing polyethylene film, flexible packaging, waste bags, liners, resin systems, additives, recycled content, or related plastic products strongly preferred.
• Deep understanding of blown film extrusion, coextrusion, film converting, sealing, draw tape or closure systems, material qualification, and plant-scale commercialization desirable.
• Experience leading raw material qualification, supplier technical collaboration, resin optimization, downgauging, cost reduction, sustainability, and performance improvement initiatives.
• Familiarity with physical and analytical test methods for polymer films, resins, recycled content, additives, and finished bag performance desirable.
• Hands-on experience with rheological characterization of polyolefin resins, including melt index interpretation, capillary or rotational rheometry, dynamic mechanical analysis, extensional rheology, or equivalent analytical methods preferred.
• Experience in consumer packaged goods, private label or branded retail products, manufacturing environments, and customer-facing technical support a plus.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Strong expertise in rheological characterization of polyolefin resins, including the ability to connect melt flow, viscosity, elasticity, molecular architecture, processability, film extrusion behavior, and end-use bag performance.
• Proficient in MS Office and capable of using data, technical reports, financial models, and project management tools to communicate recommendations.
• Broad technical knowledge of plastics processing, polyethylene resin families, recycled resin streams, additives, film structures, converting equipment, and product performance testing.
• Strong understanding of innovation strategy, technology scouting, intellectual property awareness, supplier collaboration, stage-gate management, technical risk reduction, and commercialization discipline.
• Demonstrates strong market, competitive, consumer, customer, and sustainability awareness, with the ability to accelerate speed to market while balancing quality, cost, supply continuity, and operational feasibility.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including presentation skills and the ability to influence executive leadership, technical experts, manufacturing teams, suppliers, and commercial partners.
• Advanced knowledge of statistical techniques and methods, including DOE, SPC, trial design, measurement system analysis, and structured problem solving.
• Working knowledge of Lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, productivity, and scale-up methods in a manufacturing environment.
• Self-directed with the ability to work in a fast-paced environment with multiple accountabilities, ambiguous technical challenges, and multiple internal customers.
• Strong organizational skills with high attention to detail, technical rigor, documentation quality, and action follow-through.
• Advanced project and portfolio management capabilities with the ability to organize and manage multiple innovations, raw material, and commercialization projects simultaneously.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule during trials, key business deadlines, plant start-ups, and commercialization milestones.
• Must be team oriented with the ability to lead high-collaboration, high-performance teams across functions, geographies, and external partners.

Competencies

• Strategic Mindset 6 Establishes a long-term innovation vision that aligns material technology investments and product development priorities with business strategy and growth objectives.
• Decision Quality 6 Evaluates complex technical, financial, and operational information to make sound, data-driven decisions that balance innovation opportunities with business risks.
• Innovation 6 Identifies emerging materials, technologies, and product concepts that challenge conventional approaches and create differentiated commercial value.
• Collaborates 6 Builds productive partnerships across functions, technical disciplines, suppliers, and external innovation networks to accelerate commercialization.
• Develops Talent 6 Strengthens technical capabilities through coaching, mentoring, feedback, and accountability while fostering a culture of experimentation and continuous learning.
• Communicates Effectively 6 Translates complex technical findings, business cases, and strategic recommendations into clear, persuasive communications for executive leaders and cross-functional stakeholders.

Want to know more? Check out our website or connect with us on LinkedIn! Apply today to join a fast-growing innovative company!

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