Carding Innovation Manager

Barcelona, Spain

Job Reference 1246361

Location Barcelona, Spain

Industry Process - Pulp & Paper

Function Operations & Production

Job Type Permanent

Date Added July 26, 2024

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Key Words: Carded nonwovens; Hygiene applications; Manager; Fibers; Product Development; diaper designs, Europe

 

Company Summary:

 

We are glad to be retained by a leader in inventive packaging solutions in Italy, with a focus on making life better for people and the environment. Utilizing their extensive global reach, commitment to sustainability, and profound innovation know-how, they cater to a diverse clientele worldwide. With a workforce exceeding 40,000 talented individuals across 250+ sites, they collaborate closely with customers to conceive, engineer, and produce innovative products aligned with circular economy principles. Due to the recent growth and strategy to become more innovative for nonwovens and films, the company is looking for a Carding Innovation Manager in Europe, ideally based in Italy, Spain, France or Germany.

 

Job Summary:

 

As a member of the Innovation & Product Development Hygiene & Healthcare nonwovens team, you will be responsible for accelerating innovation by providing expertise in carded nonwovens design and manufacturing (with main focus in Air-Through-Bonded technology) to develop new products that match with our customer needs, identifying and connecting customers unmet needs and market trends into innovative solutions leading from business case preparation till commercial launch, with focus in carded nonwovens solutions (and special emphasis on ATB – Air Through Bonded- technology); owning and leading technical relationships with some key customers.

 

In the short term, the key goals are related with:

  1. Gathering market technical information related with carded NWs trends and customers unmet needs
  2. Translating them into new product developments
  3. Strengthening technical partnerships with customers

 

In the midterm, the key goals are:

  1. Delivering growth through commercialization of new products that puts the company in a leading position in innovation.
  2. Becoming the technical partner of choice for assigned key customers for carded NW solutions

 

Requirements:

 

  • Engineering degree (mechanical, chemical or textile)
  • Proven expertise in carded nonwovens design for hygiene applications
  • Very nice to have: proven expertise in diaper design including components, materials, construction and/or diaper converting experience in the identification of raw materials (mainly fibers) to the launch of the new products
  • Potential to become Product Development Director
  • Good communication skills for interaction with customers, suppliers and internal stakeholders. Able to adapt the language from executive summary (big picture) to technical detailed
  • Creative, innovative mindset and resilient (fail fast culture)
  • Structured and easy going
  • Proactive, with initiative and able to work autonomously
  • Team player
  • Good observer. Good listener. Strong in conceptual thinking
  • Curious. Eager to learn. Self-motivated.
  • Feels comfortable with complexity

 

Nice-to-haves:

  • Fluent in English and preferably also in Italian. French, Spanish and Catalan are nice to have.
  • Data driven and familiar with statistical tools
  • Location: Ideally in Terno, Italy but open to Europe-centric candidates (Italy in Italy, Germany, France, Spain)
  • Available for travelling – estimated: <20%

 

Key Responsibilities:

 

  • Growth: Own customer technical relationships & build a plan with KAMs to grow

> Establish strong long-term technical relationships with assigned key customers

> Provide agile technical support related with new products and growth opportunities to KAMs

> Be proactive with the customer and KAMs to become the technical supplier and partner of choice

 

  • Excellence: Focused and agile project execution following our processes and aligning with key stakeholders

> Lead innovation and product development projects, and ensure on time and in budget execution, as well as timely communication to stakeholders

> Proactively prepare and initiate innovation and product development projects following the Stage-Gate process for new product creation from initiation into commercialization

> Fail fast. Learn from mistakes and implement and share learnings for continuous improvement

> Give training and support to PD team and other stakeholders where needed

 

  • Innovation: Identify new opportunities and translate them into specific development projects oriented to grow and to position the company’s as an innovation leader

> Gather information and insights from customer (unmet) needs and market trends

> Act as a technical leader/expert for internal and external stakeholder, particularly in relation with carded nonwovens for hygiene application, from identification of raw materials (mainly fibers) to the launch of the new products.

> Propose/Create new products to match those needs and lead execution from ideation and business case preparation till commercial launch in a timely manner.

> Coordinate trials with PD Specialists as part of the development process including the report out with key conclusions & knowledge so that can be spread among the organization.

 

  • Partnership: Become the preferred technical partner of choice for assigned key customers

> Maintain and grow strong and long-term sustainable partnerships with key technical leads/contacts at assigned hygiene customers

> Work in a united way and develop strong relationships with key internal stakeholders (such as PD team, Sales, Customer Service, Operations, Finance…)

> Be proactive to support customers and key stakeholders with orientation to growth, innovation and continuous improvement

> Establish and develop strong technical relationship with key industry stakeholders, including suppliers (and in particular fibres suppliers), technical and research centres

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