Technical Manager - Papermaking (Canada)

J.D. Irving, Limited; Toronto; On-site; CAD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in the paper industry in Toronto is looking for a qualified individual with extensive experience in papermaking and product development. The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor's degree in Engineering and 10–15 years of experience in TAD technology. This role includes responsibilities such as driving product improvement initiatives, overseeing trials, and providing technical support across multiple sites. Competitive benefits and opportunities for professional growth are offered.

Benefits

Flexible medical, dental, and vision plan

Employee & family assistance program

RRSP matching program

Health & Wellness reimbursements

Product purchase program

Opportunities for job-related training

Relocation cost assistance

Qualifications

• 10–15 years in tissue/towel papermaking with TAD technology.
• Strong trial and experimental design background.
• Thorough knowledge of papermaking processes.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain the 3-year papermaking product development roadmap.
• Lead product innovation initiatives in collaboration with Sales/Marketing.
• Provide multi-site technical support for quality issues.

Skills

R&D experience

Leadership ability

Project management

Experimental design

Ability to manage multiple activities

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related field

Job description

What We Offer

• Flexible medical, dental, and vision plan
• Employee & family assistance program
• RRSP matching program
• Health & Wellness reimbursements
• Product purchase program
• Opportunities to take part in job‑related training and development
• Relocation cost (if applicable)

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related technical field (Chemical / Pulp & Paper preferred) or equivalent experience
• 10–15 years in tissue/towel papermaking with TAD technology; strong trial/experimental design background; basic to intermediate converting knowledge or exposure
• R&D, Product Development, Quality experience
• Thorough papermaking process knowledge (TAD technology an asset)
• Understanding and applying new concepts and processes
• Ability to manage multiple activities with competing deadlines
• Experimental design, statistics, data interpretation & visualization
• Project management experience
• Leadership, mentoring, and coaching ability
• Ability to travel (up to 25% of time) to both Canada and the United States

Responsibilities

Product Improvement

• Build and maintain the 3‑year papermaking product development roadmap for assigned categories.
• Own trial design, success criteria, and recommendation.
• Author trial charters and experimental plans with success criteria; execute validation runs and oversee sample/test plans.
• Convert consumer and lab results into clear go/no‑go recommendations for product development reviews with Product Management/Quality/Marketing.
• Define Specifications & Critical to Quality attributes and variables for papermaking.

Innovation

• Execute & support Sales/Marketing product innovation initiatives
• Drive changes and develop processes to enhance products / margin
• Lead external trials and evaluations with suppliers and labs (chemistry, fabrics, papermaking, converting, analytical testing)
• Ensure NDA and data‑handling compliance with vendors
• Investigate and implement new technologies
• Influence changes, ideas, and developments

Support

• Provide multi‑site technical support for quality and runnability
• Provide technical support to customers / quality systems
• Provide support for significant operational and quality issues directly at the sites
• Mentor junior engineers