Labeling Manager

Job ID: 13524 

Alternate Locations:  

Newell Brands is a leading consumer products company with a portfolio of iconic brands like Graco®, Coleman®, Oster®, Rubbermaid®, Sharpie® and Yankee Candle® - and 24,000 talented teammates around the world. Our culture is built on values in action: Integrity, Teamwork, Passion for Winning, Ownership, and Leadership. We work together to win, grow, and make a real impact—supported by a high-performing, inclusive, and collaborative environment where you can be your best, every day. 

The Labeling Manager will be responsible for leading a focused team of chemical and product engineers in new product development and sustaining projects for a key product category. This position requires a passionate individual with deep adhesives and materials expertise and hands-on experience leading a team in the implementation of new products and sustaining activities supporting the labeling category.   

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of chemical and product engineers focused on developing and maintaining labels and cassettes used in direct thermal and thermal transfer printers by fostering technical excellence, collaboration and accountability
• Lead the collaboration effort with the Global Front-End Innovation team and Adhesives teams located in Atlanta on leading edge adhesive development and design
• Re-ignite consumable marketplace leadership by delivering patentable, innovative technologies supporting superior solutions via stateside partnerships and Front-End Innovation collaboration
• Partner with the Sr Director, R&D Chemistry Advanced Engineering by providing technical leadership and strategic direction in the adhesive and materials category for developing new labels that support direct thermal and thermal transfer printers.
• Drive the execution of new and sustaining label projects while maintaining extremely high-quality standards and timely delivery
• Ownership of the entire direct thermal and thermal transfer label product line to include testing, evaluation, and debugging of engineered label prototypes, samples and pilot runs up until the release of mass production
• Partner with subcontractors, project managers, manufacturing, QA/QC, marketing and R&D engineers to identify and resolve label manufacturability, reliability and functionality issues
• Establish and enforce best practices in label development including applicable standards, testing, documentation and reviews
• Maintain a forward-looking perspective by actively assessing emerging technologies, industry trends, and development opportunities to position the company for future growth and innovation within the labeling category
• Maximize operational economies of scale and minimize complexity through standardization of labeling systems and platforms

Job Qualifications: Education, Experience and Leadership Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, or related field required; advanced degree preferred
• 8+ years of adhesives and / or materials experience required; direct thermal/thermal transfer labeling or printer experience preferred
• At least 10 years of increasing responsibility in adhesives and / or materials, including experience leading teams and managing complex projects
• Proven ability to lead, inspire, develop, coach and scale teams, drive process improvements, and align engineering activities with business objectives
• Demonstrate success in delivering labeling solutions across the entire development lifecycle, from concept through mass production
• Create an atmosphere of curiosity to foster and build a database of current product and competitor IP in relation to adhesive and material technologies to apply in label development
• Excellent communication skills combined with cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder management skills

Technical Expertise

• Strong foundation of the technical aspects related to adhesives and materials technology with the ability to develop leading edge label solutions for direct thermal and thermal transfer printers
• Has full global responsibility for the development of all label consumables (professional/home, industrial and integrated systems) within the product line
• Has the ability to design, build or guide the building of label prototypes and the defining of test specifications for new product development
• Responsible for meeting full compliance and product regulatory requirements (environmental, health and safety regulations, business quality standards, etc.)
• Builds a global network of partners to complement internal resources with additional capacity or specialized skills
• Defines and implements global standards, processes, tools and documentation that contributes to the growth plans within the labeling category

Strategic and Future Oriented Mindset

• Builds up knowledge about adhesive and material technologies, with emphasis on patentable labeling opportunities
• Ability to identify and evaluate emerging adhesive and material technologies and industry trends to include advanced adhesive, process, manufacturing and construction technologies
• Experience translating long-term adhesive and material opportunities into actionable strategies
• Strong business acumen with the ability to align technical initiatives to organizational goals
• Develops “behind the scenes” building blocks around adhesive and material technologies to support future labeling opportunities

Additional Attributes

• Demonstrates strong communication skills (verbal and written)
• Knowledge of thermal printing systems is a plus
• Demonstrates evidence of strong problem-solving skills including identifying problems, potential problems, and developing solutions
• Develop partnerships with vendors and suppliers
• Fosters a culture of creativity, innovation, accountability and continuous improvement

#LI-MC2 

Newell Brands (NASDAQ: NWL) is a leading global consumer goods company with a strong portfolio of well-known brands, including Rubbermaid, Sharpie, Graco, Coleman, Rubbermaid Commercial Products, Yankee Candle, Paper Mate, FoodSaver, Dymo, EXPO, Elmer’s, Oster, NUK, Spontex and Campingaz. We are focused on delighting consumers by lighting up everyday moments. Newell Brands and its subsidiaries are Equal Opportunity Employers and comply with applicable employment laws. EOE/M/F/Vet/Disabled are encouraged to apply.