Product Development Manager

First Quality • McElhattan, PA

23h • Onsite

About The Position

First Quality, a family-owned company founded over 35 years ago, is seeking a Product Development Manager for First Quality Products located in McElhattan, PA. This role is responsible for developing products that meet customer/consumer needs and achieve corporate profit margin requirements. The Product Development Manager will direct and coordinate all product development activities for absorbent hygiene products, from operations through to the marketplace, providing technical and market expertise in these areas. The company values humility, unity, and integrity, leveraging advanced technology and innovation to drive growth and create new opportunities in a collaborative environment focused on continuous learning and professional development.

Requirements

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in Science or Engineering
• Minimum of 7 years of medical product development or related industry experience preferred, preferably in absorbent hygiene products.
• Knowledge of hygiene markets, products, competition, consumers, trends, etc.
• Knowledge and use of Probability and Statistical Inference.
• Knowledge and use of Design of Experiments.
• Knowledge and use of Patents/Trademarks, especially with regards to absorbent products and materials
• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
• Ability to develop and organize multiple projects.
• Ability to manage and lead a diverse, cross-functional team of professionals to deliver against key objectives and timelines.
• Ability to assess process and raw material impacts on product performance and consumer satisfaction.
• Ability to interact with customers on all levels in both technical and sales capacities.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office, Microsoft Project, Minitab, as well as other office systems.

Nice To Haves

• MS or PhD preferred

Responsibilities

• Leads a cross-functional team to plan, develop, and implement product improvements and new product introductions from Operations through to the Marketplace.
• Investigates new technologies (materials & equipment) and their applicability to absorbent products.
• Works with Purchasing to negotiate price, quality, and service with vendors.
• Works with Marketing to plan, conduct, analyze, and interpret consumer/market research studies.
• Plans, conducts, analyzes, and interprets product use tests to benchmark competitive product performance.
• Works with Patent/Trademark attorney on intellectual property considerations (patentability, infringement searches, right-to-market reviews, etc.).
• Prepares preliminary product costing for new products.
• Provides market-intelligence to corporation (patents/trademarks/industry news/etc).
• Benchmarks competitive products and develops strategies to maintain effective advantages.
• Conduct periodic review of technology patents, industry trademarks, as well as keeping abreast of new product introductions into the absorbent hygiene category.
• Reviews and provides recommendations on new idea submissions for absorbent products.
• Reviews consumer complaint data to identify opportunities to improve product performance and consumer satisfaction.
• Support Sales and marketing in presenting to customers.

Benefits

• Competitive base salary and bonus opportunities
• Paid time off (three-week minimum)
• Medical, dental and vision starting day one
• 401(k) with employer match
• Paid parental leave
• Child and family care assistance (dependent care FSA with employer match up to $2500)
• Bundle of joy benefit (year's worth of free diapers to all team members with a new baby)
• Tuition assistance
• Wellness program with savings of up to $4,000 per year on insurance premiums

What This Job Offers

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