Ink Portfolio Manager

Rochester Industries Placement•Rochester, NY

10h•$80,000 - $140,000

About The Position

Beyond TalentEdge has a direct hire opportunity for a Technical Ink Manager. Our client is a leading Digital Imaging company in Rochester. This role serves as the central interface between OEM ink suppliers, internal R&D, Sales, Service, and Applications teams, ensuring inks remain a differentiated, high-performance, and compliant component of equipment solutions. This position owns ink quality, performance, and regulatory integrity and serves as the subject-matter expert for all ink-related technical, commercial, and operational matters.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Print Technology, or a related technical field
Five or more years of experience in digital UV inkjet, ink or materials development, or OEM printing equipment environments
Demonstrated experience leading external supplier or technology partner relationships in a technical capacity
Proven ability to navigate OEM and customer relationships
Strong understanding of UV inkjet systems, ink chemistry, printhead behavior, and curing technologies
Working knowledge of color management, print quality metrics, and substrate compatibility
Familiarity with ink-related regulatory and compliance standards

Responsibilities

Lead ink supplier relationships and coordinate with EU R&D partners, serving as the primary technical contact for ink specifications, performance standards, and compliance requirements
Define ink development priorities, including new formulations, reformulations, and product lifecycle transitions aligned with customer needs and equipment roadmaps
Support pricing, supply, and contract discussions with ink vendors to ensure alignment with cost targets, volume expectations, and performance standards
Establish and maintain ink performance standards across all ink families, including color accuracy, adhesion, durability, jetting behavior, and substrate compatibility
Own escalated ink quality, batch, or performance issues, driving structured root cause analysis, corrective actions, and proactive customer communication
Benchmark inks against competitive alternatives to identify performance gaps and continuous improvement opportunities
Serve as the escalation point for ink-related technical issues in support of Service and Applications teams
Partner with Sales and Marketing to position inks as a competitive advantage in the equipment sales process
Develop and maintain technical documentation and sales enablement materials, including performance data, compliance documentation, and application guidance
Deliver targeted training to Sales and channel partners
Ensure all ink products meet applicable regulatory, safety, and certification requirements, including food contact, VOC, and chemical compliance standards
Proactively manage regulatory changes and component updates with suppliers to prevent field disruption
Maintain accurate, current, and accessible technical and regulatory documentation for internal teams and customers
Participate in ink governance and review forums to track quality metrics, open issues, development projects, vendor performance, and roadmap alignment
Provide technical input on emerging applications, substrates, and market trends
Support ink product lifecycle decisions, including product introductions, optimizations, phase-outs, and customer transition planning