New Product and Contract Manufacture Engineer

Jimmy Jazz; Charlotte (NC); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Inolex in Charlotte, NC is seeking a New Product and Contract Manufacture Engineer to lead production of new products at the Charlotte site and manage collaborations with contract manufacturers.

The role requires coordinating tech transfer, qualification batches, and LCAs with sustainability priorities, while ensuring process improvements are shared across the global manufacturing network. 10+ years in chemical manufacturing preferred.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, chemistry, or related field required.
• 10+ years in chemical manufacturing or 15 years hands-on experience.
• Experience in contract manufacturing and tech transfer preferred.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate best production location for new products.
• Manage tech transfer packages and qualification batches.
• Monitor qualification data (cycle time, yield, quality).
• Identify and pursue sourcing opportunities with partners.
• Maintain relationships with existing partners and identify new ones.
• Ensure sustainability and safety values alignment.
• Coordinate EHS audits with Global EHS.
• Provide engineering support to production sites.

Skills

Excellent communication

Organizational skills

Analytical problem solving

Independent thinker

Cross-functional collaboration

Technical writing

ISO-9000 understanding

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering, Chemistry, or related field

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

• Job Category engineering, contract manufacturing, new product
• Employee Type FT Exempt
• Required Degree 4 Year Degree
• Travel 30%
• Manage Others No

Duties and responsibilities:

Other duties assigned based on business needs

Supports the New Product Introduction process

• As new products are given the greenlight for development, evaluates the best location for eventual production (Charlotte, existing regional Contract Manufacturer, new regional Contract Manufacturer).
• After R&D process development is complete, takes tech transfer package and ensures small-scale qualification batches are completed either in Charlotte or at a regional Contract Manufacturer.
• Monitors and assists with qualification batches, and provides final qualification data for evaluation (e.g. cycle time, yield, quality data).

Manages the company’s business continuity plan

• Identifies and pursues sourcing opportunities with existing partners as manufacturing capabilities align with the Business Continuity needs.
• Maintains and builds relationships with existing partners.
• Investigates and works with regional business agents to identify new partners to satisfy the company’s business continuity needs and profitable growth.
• Works with all partners to ensure they are aligned with Inolex’s sustainability and safety values and the business objectives.
• Manages expansion collaboration projects at strategic partners ensuring Inolex’s engineering, quality and sustainability protocols are followed.
• Works with Charlotte engineering and operations to ensure process improvements are integrated into our external partners operations and equally learnings from partners are shared within the global manufacturing network.
• Works with manufacturing partners, Inolex engineering, process development, and sustainability to ensure LCA’s for externally manufactured products are baselined and optimized.
• Partners with Supply Chain to identify and lead the qualification effort for external manufacturing partners.
• Coordinates product qualification with potential partners through the quality process working with Supply Chain, R&D, Technical Service, and Quality.
• Coordinate manufacture partner site EHS audits with Global EHS and Engineering.

Provides engineering support to production

• Provides process engineering assistance to Charlotte manufacturing site.
• Responsible for understanding the manufacturing process for Charlotte products that are also made at global Contract Manufacturers; provides technical support to global Contract Manufacturers as needed on these products

Supports operational and procurement efforts in the company’s sustainability initiatives

• Provides operational support in the management of the RSPO program.
• Serves as an Operations resource in support of the corporate sustainability program.
• Supports other customer or regional programs (Ecovadis, Sedex, REACH, ASD, etc).
• Generates Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) to evaluate the sustainability practices of third-party vendors, assessing their environmental, social, and economic impact of products they supply.
• Ensures that vendors adhere to sustainable practices that align with sustainability goals and business continuity requirements.
• Ensures raw material origins for existing feedstocks and future requirements are understood as it relates to sustainability, marketing strategy, etc.

Required Skills/Abilities:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills with strong attention to detail.
• Excellent analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong self-starter with the ability to work independently, take initiative to identify improvement opportunities, and collaborate proactively with cross-functional teams.
• Ability to troubleshoot and create strategic action plans.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite or related software.
• Ability to read and understand manuals and maintain proper records.
• Basic understanding of ISO-9000.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Chemistry, or related field preferred.
• Minimum of 10 years of related experience or 15 years of hands‑on experience in a chemical manufacturing facility, batch manufacturing, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Physical Requirements:

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• This position will be primarily located in an office and partially in a chemical plant environment.
• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Some lifting may be required for packing and shipping of boxes, up to 55 lbs.
• Travel approximately 30% primarily in the Americas region with international travel possible to EMEA.

This company is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer (EOE/including disability/vets).

Summary

The New Product and Contract Manufacture Engineer will report to the Charlotte Engineering Manager. The primary purpose of this position is to develop, manage, and execute the activities associated with production of new products at the Charlotte manufacturing site, as well as develop, manage, and execute activities with our contract manufacturers, suppliers and partners within the North America region. In addition, this position will provide support for select contract manufacturing activities in the EMEA region as business needs evolve. This position will also serve as a technical resource for global production of products that are also manufactured at the Charlotte site. The importance is to ensure Inolex’s ingredient supply is multi sourced with partners that share Inolex’s sustainability and safety values and are in regions that provide a strategic value to the organization, provide engineering support to production and quality, and lead the operational aspects of the company’s sustainability program. The position is based in Charlotte, NC.