Product Innovation

Location: Gorla Maggiore (VA), IT, 21050- Req ID: 82002- Facility: GORLA MAGGIORE-6200- Department: Color Laboratory- Division: Global APS**Basic Function**:
**Product Innovation and Technical Support Manager**

**Location: Gorla Maggiore (VA)**

The person in this role carries out two main activities, the product development and first line of customer technical support for CPC (masterbatches) and SP products (specialty powders).
He supervises and coordinates all development and formulas activities of masterbatches and specialty powders in Gorla laboratory, contributing to the achievement of the functional objectives of the European color network and ensuring that the material produced on site complies with current specifications and legislation.
Ensure the European coordination and harmonization of both CPC/SP methods and products through participation in the European CDT (color development team) group when required.
In order to guarantee the continuous improvement ensure that processes and procedures are respected and followed as required to be in compliance in terms of quality and HSE.
Provide the necessary technical support to customers when the approval for both CPC and SP products is required and/or when complaints about desired performance of a product requires support.
Ensure the necessary assistance and support to the sales, Customer Service department or other functions.

**Roles & Responsibilities**:

- This role has the responsibility for the development of products (masterbatches and specialty powders), the fine-tuning of the formulas, technical specifications and evaluation of the results.
- Supervise, motivate, develop and train co-workers in order to enable them to support the business expectations. Ensure the knowledge, skills and attitudes to fulfill the execution of the goals to pursue the company strategy.
- Organize and plan daily activities, solve daily problems. Escalate difficulties to functional and/or local site manager.
- Follow up on activities for requests and projects in PLM. Provide high quality of technical support to assigned commercial accounts. Resolve tech.customer complaints in a timely manner. Perform Tech. Assistance for optimization of SP/CPC molding cycles.
- Conduct visits at plants, tech departments, quality managers of customers to develop strong relationship, to identify opportunities, new developments and to propose APS solutions.
- Manage and process knowledge on pigments, additives and carrier materials. In charge of the implementation of the PBAU concept in the recipes, and responsible of the maintenance of the Plant PBAU.
- Being key contact person for recipes and interacting with other color lab managers to share best practices and exchange of knowledge.
- Ensure that all activities are in line with quality and HSE regulations and procedures.
- Dedicate the necessary time and resources to optimize products recipe to enhance plants efficiency by testing alternative raw materials, update the PAD Manager about the changes introduced and the advantages observed.
- Maintain regular contacts with suppliers of pigments, additives, raw materials, lab equipment.
- Provide to co-workers and to other departments the necessary technical assistance.
- Coordinate and supervise the production of samples and new products (CPC & SP) and intervene on their characterization in case of anomalies.
- Responsible for the creation/modification of finished products in the company information system (PLM and SAP), BOM, Master Recipe, Production Version.
- Responsible of initiating the workflow process for any change in the raw materials list.
- Responsible for the correct use of personal protective equipment in compliance with the regulatory and company HSE provisions.
- Daily contacts with manufacturing area regarding production of recipes and other functions/departments.
- The position is responsible for defining the KPI’s linked to the Product innovation and technical support activities, and for explaining any deviation for critical KPI”s like: Number of color-matches, Color Matches lead time, Color Matches Success rate, Number of Customer visits.

**Min. Qualifications**:

Education:

- University degree or high school diploma in Chemistry, Polymer Sciences or related discipline or equal through relevant and consolidated experience in Laboratory of masterbatches/specialty powders.
- Work Experience:

- 5+ years of related Laboratory experience preferred.
- Extensive knowledge on pigments, additives, polymers, raw materials and related production processes.
- Knowledge material characterization, appropriated analysis and results interpretation.
- Knowledge of color pellet and color differentiation capabilities. Knowledge of PET processability and characterization is a plus.
- Skills:

- Familiar with SAP system operations and other specific IT tools and software: PLM.
- Strong computer skills and proficiency in MS Office Suite including Word, Excel, PowerPoint.
- Communicatio