Product Development Engineer

Capstone Search Advisors; Cincinnati (OH); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Capstone Search Advisors has partnered with a leading organization in the packaging industry to identify an experienced Product Development Engineer with a passion for sustainability, innovation, and technical problem-solving.

This role focuses on developing environmentally responsible coating solutions for paper and packaging, driving recyclability and renewable content while ensuring strong functional performance across production scales.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a technical discipline (Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Paper Science, or related).
• 10+ years of experience in product development, formulation, or related technical field.
• Experience with coatings, paper, paperboard, packaging, or related materials preferred.
• Strong mechanical and chemical aptitude with hands-on problem solving.
• Knowledge of coating technologies, paper properties, and converting processes.
• Understanding of packaging sustainability drivers (recyclability, renewables, circular economy).
• Familiarity with FDA packaging regulations, SDS management, and product stewardship.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.
• Willingness to travel periodically for customer trials and external technical support.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and optimize coating formulations to meet performance and environmental goals.
• Simulate production conditions to scale from lab to manufacturing.
• Troubleshoot coating performance and end-use functionality issues.
• Incorporate sustainability considerations across material sourcing to end-of-life.
• Collaborate with suppliers to identify greener alternatives to traditional materials.
• Support SDS documentation and regulatory compliance efforts.
• Assist field trials and customer collaborations to validate new coatings.
• Apply knowledge of paper properties and converting processes to coating decisions.

Skills

Product development

Coatings

Sustainability

Problem solving

Cross-functional collaboration

Regulatory knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Paper Science, or related

Tools

SDS management

FDA packaging regulations

Job description

Capstone Search Advisors has partnered with a leading organization in the packaging industry to identify an experienced Product Development Engineer with a passion for sustainability, innovation, and technical problem-solving.

This is an exciting opportunity for a hands-on technical professional to develop environmentally responsible coating solutions for paper and packaging applications. The successful candidate will play a key role in creating products that deliver strong functional performance while advancing recyclability, renewable content, and circular economy initiatives.

As a Product Development Engineer, you will work at the intersection of chemistry, engineering, materials science, and sustainability. You will lead the development and optimization of coating formulations, troubleshoot technical challenges, support scale-up and production trials, and collaborate with suppliers and customers to bring innovative solutions to market.

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys getting into the details, solving complex problems, working hands-on, and seeing their ideas move from the laboratory to commercial production.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and optimize coating formulations that minimize environmental impact while meeting performance requirements.
• Simulate real-world production conditions to ensure successful scale-up from laboratory development to manufacturing.
• Troubleshoot coating performance, converting, and end-use functionality issues.
• Incorporate sustainability considerations throughout the product development process, from material sourcing through end-of-life.
• Partner with suppliers to identify greener alternatives to traditional coating materials.
• Manage SDS documentation and support compliance with FDA requirements, environmental regulations, and corporate sustainability objectives.
• Support field trials and customer collaborations to validate and commercialize new coating technologies.
• Apply a strong understanding of paper properties, converting processes, and their impact on coated paper performance.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with technical, manufacturing, commercial, supplier, and customer teams.

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Paper Science, or a related technical discipline.
• 10+ years of experience in product development, formulation, or a related technical discipline.
• Experience with coatings, paper, paperboard, packaging, or adjacent materials strongly preferred.
• Strong mechanical and chemical aptitude with a practical, hands-on approach to problem solving.
• Knowledge of coating technologies, paper properties, and converting processes.
• Understanding of packaging sustainability drivers, including recyclability, compostability, renewable content, and regulatory compliance.
• Familiarity with FDA packaging regulations, SDS management, and product stewardship.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.
• Ability to work independently while effectively partnering with multidisciplinary teams.
• Willingness to travel periodically for customer trials and external technical support.