Product Development Specialist, Americas

UPM Biochemicals • Mills River, NC

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About The Position

Would you like to join a global, growing company that innovates for a more sustainable tomorrow? UPM could be the team for you. We are frontrunners in developing renewable alternatives to fossil-based materials. Besides enabling both businesses and consumers make more sustainable choices, we strive to create a positive UPM experience for all our employees around the world. We live by our values – trust and be trusted, achieve together, renew with courage. Together we can renew the everyday, for a future beyond fossils! Learn more about us as a workplace upm.com/careers We are looking for a Product Development Specialist, Americas to join our team in Mills River. Greetings from your future manager Innovation and New Product Development is core to UPM Adhesive Materials’ strategy and competitiveness in a rapidly evolving world. Our Product Development & Innovation team is crucial to developing advanced technologies and enabling us to meet and exceed customer expectations and deliver the next generation of adhesive materials. We are excited to welcome you to our team, joining us in making a significant impact in this exciting journey and shaping the future together! – John Hofmann, Senior Manager, Product Development & Innovation.

Requirements

• B.S. in polymer science or related field with advanced degree preferred
• Proven formulation experience with pressure sensitive adhesives as well as understanding of manufacturing and conversion processes, with experience in water-based adhesive formulation
• Extensive knowledge of polymer characterization, viscoelasticity, polymer morphology, and structure-property relationships (including rheology, spectroscopy, thermal analyses such as DSC & DMA, etc.)
• Experienced in product development in chemical, packaging, or adjacent industries, with experience using new product development methodologies and leading large-scale projects (e.g. Stage Gate, DFSS, etc.)
• Ability to convert market needs into technical “critical to quality” product attributes, and develop these “CTQs” into product development roadmap
• A proactive and engaging team player, leveraging a cross-functional Innovation team across a regional and global network

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement new adhesive technologies across water‑based and hot‑melt systems, ensuring technical readiness for market needs
• Support innovation and growth projects via utilization of the Stage Gate methodology, driving the implementation of novel adhesive technologies from concept to launch
• Coordinate with commercial and operations teams to identify, qualify, and commercialize new products to deliver both short-term and long-term business results
• Engage with manufacturing teams and support required analytical work to quantify and define product specifications
• Maintain and update a long‑term roadmap for adhesive and labeling technologies, aligning with business strategy and capability development
• Collaborate within a regional and global network of technical experts to scale UPM’s adhesive and coating competence and share best practices
• Partner with regional market organization to effectively translate market needs into technical solutions for labeling applications
• Provide expert guidance on adhesive formulation approaches, testing methods, and performance optimization across applications and end uses within the consumer and specialty market segments
• Drive efficiency between market segments by identifying shared technology needs, overlapping opportunities, and cross‑application solutions
• Advance the implementation of novel paper face stocks for adhesive laminates across consumer and specialty segments and ensure strong alignment during qualification and launch

Benefits

• A meaningful job: We have an inspiring purpose “We renew the everyday for a future beyond fossils”. Our work is impactful and transformative.
• A caring community: Our community is built on great team spirit and shared commitment. We care about each other and the well-being of our colleagues. We support the work-life balance of all our employees.
• Development opportunities: We offer you great opportunities to learn and grow throughout your career. We are an international, multi-business organization offering plenty of avenues for personal growth.
• Responsible employer: Sustainability is at the core of everything we do. We are committed to ambitious, science-based sustainability targets in all areas, from climate change mitigation to enhancing biodiversity. We foster diversity and inclusivity, offering a work environment in which everyone can be themselves.
• Comprehensive benefit package: UPM’s benefit package includes medical, dental and vision insurance, paid time off and a 401(k)-retirement plan.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees