Manager, Materials & Metrology Lab

Silgan Plastics • Union, MO

1d

About The Position

The Manager of Metrology, Regulatory and Sustainability provides strategic and technical leadership across metrology, sustainability, and regulatory compliance functions supporting multi-site manufacturing operations. The position leads laboratory personnel responsible for material characterization, dimensional measurement, packaging performance validation, product compatibility testing, failure analysis, and regulatory support across industrial, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food markets. The role translates complex material science, sustainability, and regulatory requirements into actionable guidance for customers and internal stakeholders while strengthening audit readiness, product integrity, and business risk management.

The manager supervises Union, Missouri Analytical Lab and Measurement Lab personnel and supports approximately 900 technical and compliance reports annually. The position advises internal functions and customers on technical and regulatory matters, leads audit readiness for 17 manufacturing plants, and oversees cross-functional implementation of new and evolving packaging regulations. It also supports customer packaging redesign initiatives while balancing regulatory compliance, performance, sustainability, product integrity, and business risk.

Requirements

• Undergraduate degree in engineering, science, plastics, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience of more than three years.
• At least three years of laboratory management experience focused on evaluating the application and performance of plastic materials, plastic parts, bottles, and closures.
• Experience using analytical equipment to evaluate plastic materials, including FTIR microscopy, Instron tensile testing, melt index testing, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).
• Experience supervising and developing laboratory technicians or other technical personnel.
• Experience preparing technical reports, responding to customer inquiries, and supporting cross-functional resolution of technical or compliance issues.
• Advanced analytical problem-solving and root-cause investigation skills.
• Knowledge of analytical laboratory equipment and test methods used for material analysis and performance evaluation, including DSC, FTIR, melt index testing, microscopy, and dimensional metrology.
• Leadership, coaching, workload prioritization, and technical-team development skills.
• Strong written, verbal, presentation, and customer-facing communication skills.
• Ability to translate material science, test findings, sustainability targets, and regulatory requirements into practical business and technical guidance.
• Ability to establish documentation standards and maintain accurate, consistent, audit-ready records.
• Ability to lead cross-functional execution and manage multiple high-priority technical, regulatory, customer, and operational issues.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced technical education or equivalent experience with a strong background in plastic packaging laboratories, material science, sustainability, or regulatory compliance.
• Direct experience with a rigid-container manufacturer evaluating the application and performance of plastic materials and plastic packaging.
• Experience supporting multi-site manufacturing operations, packaging regulations, audit readiness, sustainability initiatives, or customer packaging redesign.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic oversight of metrology, sustainability, and regulatory compliance functions supporting multi-site manufacturing operations.
• Lead and develop a senior technical team responsible for material characterization, packaging performance validation, and regulatory support.
• Supervise Union, MO Analytical Lab and Measurement Lab personnel and train them in the proper use of analytical and dimensional-measurement equipment.
• Advise Quality, Engineering, Operations, Commercial, Product Development, Account Management, and Procurement teams on high-risk customer complaints, quality deviations, and compliance issues.
• Provide technical support for product compatibility testing, package performance testing, dimensional compliance, mechanical performance, embedded contamination analysis, chemical stress failures, and customer sample investigations.
• Respond to customer inquiries and prepare regulatory compliance documentation for materials used in plastic containers and closures, including intended-use applications.
• Deliver executive-level and customer-facing training to more than 200 customers annually, translating material science, sustainability targets, and regulatory requirements into actionable guidance.
• Partner with customers on packaging redesign initiatives, balancing regulatory compliance, performance requirements, and sustainability objectives while protecting product integrity and managing business risk.
• Direct audit-readiness efforts for 17 manufacturing plants by establishing documentation standards and ensuring consistent, inspection-ready regulatory records.
• Lead enterprise responses to new and evolving packaging regulations by assessing regulatory impact, defining implementation strategy, and overseeing cross-functional execution.
• Perform or oversee analytical testing, interpret results, and summarize findings in clear, defensible laboratory and technical reports.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager