Manager Applications Development Engineering

Flexcon•Spencer, MA

1d•$101,000 - $168,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Manager, Applications Development Engineering leads the Applications Development Engineering (ADE) team within Technical Service & Development (TS&D), providing leadership, technical oversight, and project management for the development and commercialization of pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) solutions. This role is responsible for managing team priorities, workloads, and project execution while ensuring high-quality technical outcomes that align with customer, market, and business objectives. In addition to leading the team, the Manager is expected to actively support the science and engineering aspects of the work, bringing sufficient technical depth to evaluate solutions, challenge assumptions, guide development decisions, and provide hands-on support when needed. This role requires both tactical execution and strategic thinking to ensure projects are delivered effectively while advancing broader business objectives. The ideal candidate combines strong leadership and organizational skills with a working knowledge of PSA technologies, converting processes, and end-use applications. Success in this role requires the ability to balance multiple development initiatives, foster cross-functional collaboration, and deliver innovative solutions that create value for customers and business.

Requirements

At least 3 years of experience leading or managing a technical team, ideally with a focus on applications development, and demonstrated people-management skill (hiring, coaching, performance management).
Bachelor's degree in a relevant STEM field (Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Polymer Science, or related) preferred; equivalent combination of education and experience considered.
Strong working knowledge of coated and laminated products, including pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) films, tapes, and laminates and/or comparable coatings and films, and roll-to-roll manufacturing / roll stock converting processes.
Experience with end-use applications in one or more of: labeling and graphics, packaging, healthcare/medical devices, automotive, or durable/industrial labeling; PSA experience preferred.
Demonstrated project and portfolio management skills, including experience with Agile or stage-gate development methodologies.
Strong cross-functional communication skills, with the ability to translate technical details for executive, commercial, and customer audiences.
Comfort helping build and evolve intelligence-capture practices (e.g., VOC, market assessment, competitive intelligence, regulatory tracking) rather than relying on a fully established process; flexible, adaptable, and effective when priorities and processes are still taking shape.

Responsibilities

Directly manage Applications Development Engineers, including the Applications Engineer, Specialist: workload distribution, performance management, hiring, onboarding, and career development.
Build a collaborative, accountable team culture and ensure consistent communication of project and portfolio status to the Director and cross-functional stakeholders.
Partner with the Principal Applications Engineer / Technical SME on technical mentorship pathways for the team, distinguishing people-management coaching from deep technical coaching.
Develop team talent, technical competencies, and organizational capabilities to create a world-class, industry-leading Applications Development organization that delivers innovative solutions and measurable value to customers and the business.
Own the ADE project portfolio end-to-end: intake, prioritization, resourcing, and delivery against committed timelines and budgets.
Implement and enforce project management best practices (including Agile/stage-gate methodologies as appropriate) to improve throughput and predictability.
Track and report project and portfolio KPIs to senior leadership and relevant stakeholders.
Identify resourcing gaps or bottlenecks across the portfolio and escalate or resolve proactively.
Guide the team in aligning development work with customer requirements and critical success factors (CSFs).
Ensure development work reflects current knowledge of roll-to-roll manufacturing, coating, and converting constraints relevant to PSA and non-PSA products.
Maintain working awareness of relevant end-use markets (labeling and graphics, packaging, medical/healthcare, automotive, and industrial/durable applications) to keep project prioritization aligned with business strategy.
Ensure new constructions and product extensions move through appropriate testing and de-risking before commercialization, in partnership with the Principal Applications Engineer and Quality.
Serve as the technical lead from within TS&D (in partnership with the technical marketing / commercial co-lead) for ADE's contribution to the Insights Engine, holding day-to-day responsibility for ensuring field- and project-level intelligence gathered during customer trials and application development work is captured and categorized correctly (Voice of Customer, Market Assessment, Competitive Intelligence, or Regulatory), while the Director remains ultimately accountable.
Ensure Voice of Customer signals (unmet technical requirements, emerging use cases, shifting performance specs) identified during ADE trials and customer engagements are documented and routed into the Insights Engine rather than staying siloed in individual project files.
Ensure competitive intelligence surfaced during applications work (competitor construction benchmarking, teardown findings, published product launches) is captured and fed into the Insights Engine on a consistent basis, not on an ad hoc basis.
Partner with the Director to keep the ADE project pipeline informed by current Insights Engine findings, particularly within active strategic focus areas.
Build intelligence capture into the team's standard project workflow (project kickoffs, trial debriefs, and customer visit reports) so Insights Engine contribution becomes a normal part of how ADE runs projects rather than a separate ask.
Work closely with Product Management, R&D, Sales and Customer Service, Quality, and other functional partners to translate customer and business requirements into actionable development plans.
Represent ADE in cross-functional project reviews and stakeholder meetings, reporting out on progress, risk, and resourcing.
Coordinate with Technical Service and Field Technical Service to ensure customer-facing technical needs are reflected in ADE project priorities.
Manage ADE headcount and equipment/lab resource allocation and support the Director in managing the TS&D budget, to maximize portfolio throughput.
Identify and address resource gaps or bottlenecks proactively, including build-vs-buy and contractor/vendor decisions where relevant.