In Cornwall, you can have it all. Our growing community is beautiful, safe, and friendly. You’ll find everything you need to enjoy an exceptional quality of life. Ours is a full-service city with a small-town feel, where everything is just minutes away from your front door and new opportunities wait around every corner! All that, plus it’s an affordable place to live in Ontario, and a great place to raise a family.

There are so many reasons to make Cornwall your home. Come and see for yourself.

Responsibilities:

• As a leader of New Products and Research & Development team, the Director New Products & Innovation will manage the technical members while facilitating the successful delivery of new product development projects from concept to commercial launch
• This role reports to the President
• Working with Sales, Marketing, Manufacturing, Quality & Process Improvement teams to optimize time to market

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide technical direction to the business, R&D and operation partners on concept feasibilities
• Plan, organize and support production trials
• Provide directions to optimize formulations, process and specifications to meet process capability, products specifications and environmental strategies
• Develop specifications for new products for suitability with existing manufacturing systems
• Maintain ownership and leadership of post-commercialization process through the hand-off process with Quality Assurance and Manufacturing
• Provide technical guidance to the R&D and operations team on optimizing processing operating guidelines for existing products
• Provide leadership on cost saving initiatives and raw material selection
• Provide technical direction for the selection/qualification of alternate raw materials
• Provide leadership in developing and qualifying new products from overseas manufacturing partners (India, China, Europe)
• Manage, mentor, and provide career coaching to direct reports and team members
• This position will require periodic travel in Canada, the USA and Europe

Education and Experience:

• MSc. /BSc. Chemical Engineering, Process Engineering, Chemistry, or related discipline
• 10 years of experience in the Coated Fabric industry with previous experience managing technical team
• 5 years experience leading product development for Automotive OEM’s
• Working experience with Automotive Quality Management Standard IATF 16949 and ISO 9001
• Solid knowledge and understanding of polymer science principles in the development of innovative new products
• Proven knowledge of processing equipment, ingredients process interactions, scale-up and statistical/analytical techniques
• Proven ability to meet deadlines and operate under tight time constraints with a strong sense of urgency

Key Skills and Competencies:

• Strong interpersonal skills with ability to teach, train, and mentor all staff in an inclusive and constructive manner
• Maintaining a positive, empathetic, and professional attitude at all times
• Ability to multi-task, prioritize and manage time effectively
• Demonstrated ability to apply project management fundamentals and tools
• Strong planning, organizational and analytical skills
• Proven ability to troubleshoot with successful solutions to fit manufacturing capabilities
• Strong written and verbal communication, and presentation skills
• Works well in a team environment, with the ability to build strong relationships across departments
• Ability to empower and drive diverse teams with critical attention to detail, deadlines, and reporting
• An entrepreneurial mindset with a desire to support business growth
• Able to present and communicate effectively with cross-functional peers, senior leaders, and non-product experts on technical and product related topics
• Have a strategic and innovative mindset and ability to plan and deliver to future product growth roadmaps
• Leads by example and easily able to collaborate with peers

Benefits:

• Casual dress
• Dental care
• Disability insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Extended health care
• Life insurance
• On-site parking
• Vision care

All Candidates must be able to provide work related references.