Sr. Engineering Manager, Film

Novolex; Lake Forest (IL); On-site; USD 155,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) with company match

Medical, dental and vision insurance

Paid vacation and holidays

Job summary

Novolex is seeking a Senior Manager, Operating Unit Engineer to lead engineering activities across multiple manufacturing sites, directing improvements in safety, quality, throughput, yield, and reliability. You will be the technical authority for blown film extrusion and related conversion processes, driving standardization and best practices across the unit.

Travel up to 75% to facilities and suppliers is required.

Qualifications

• Requires 5+ years in manufacturing/engineering roles across multiple plants.
• Experience improving throughput, uptime, yield, scrap reduction, and process capability.
• Experience troubleshooting, commissioning, startup, and readiness initiatives.
• Experience leading capital projects and standardization across operations.

Responsibilities

• Lead engineering activities across operating unit manufacturing operations.
• Provide day-to-day technical leadership and coaching for plant engineering teams.
• Drive uptime, throughput, and reliability improvements across plants.
• Lead capital projects, equipment specs, FAT/SAT, commissioning and startup support.
• Collaborate with Center of Excellence to implement enterprise engineering standards.

Skills

Manufacturing engineering

Process engineering

Reliability engineering

Cross-functional coordination

Problem-solving

Training and coaching

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related technical discipline

Tools

Office software

Job description

Company Overview

Why Choose Us?

Novolex is a leading manufacturer of food, beverage, and specialty packaging that supports multiple industries including foodservice, restaurant delivery and carryout, food processing, grocery and retail, and industrial sectors. Novolex manufacturing and sourcing expertise spans a diverse range of substrates including resin, paper, molded fiber, aluminum and more. We provide customers a broad array of stock and customized solutions with 120 product categories, 250 brands and over 39,000 SKUs.

Our Sustainability Commitment

The Novolex sustainability vision is built upon three pillars: our products, our operations and our people. Each is critically important to our growth and future as a business. These pillars form the foundation of our company-wide commitment to sustainability, helping us achieve our ambitious goals through our wide-ranging initiatives.

Job Description

Position Summary

The Senior Manager, Operating Unit Engineer, responsible for leading engineering activities supporting blown film extrusion, inline converting, printing operations, roll stock production, and downstream converting processes. Provides technical leadership across multiple manufacturing facilities driving improvements in safety, quality, operational reliability, throughput, yield, scrap reduction, and manufacturing performance. The position serves as the primary technical authority for blown film extrusion, tube-on-roll products, single wound sheeting, inline bag converting, flexographic printing, shuttle bag machines, rotary bag machines, wicket converting systems, and roll-to-roll printing operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Ensure compliance with company safety standards, engineering standards, and operational procedures
• Lead engineering activities across assigned operating unit manufacturing operations. Subject matter expertise for LLDPE, HDPE, MDPE, and barrier film structures including nylon-based constructions
• Technical authority for inline flexographic printing and roll-to-roll flexographic printing operations. Lead troubleshooting for complex operational, technical, process, and reliability issues across manufacturing sites
• Technical leadership for inline converting systems, shuttle bag machines, rotary bag machines, wicket bag operations, sealing systems, perforation systems, stacking systems, registration control systems, and downstream bag converting technologies
• Provide day-to-day technical leadership, coaching, training, capability-building, and support for plant engineering teams across plants
• Drive engineering performance across plants, including uptime, throughput, yield, scrap reduction, and operational reliability. Partner with Center of Excellence teams to drive adoption and implementation of enterprise engineering standards, tools, governance, and best practices across manufacturing sites
• Lead execution of capital projects within the operating unit. Develop equipment specifications, project scopes, technical justifications, and implementation plans. Lead equipment evaluations, FAT/SAT activities, startup support, commissioning activities, and technology implementation projects
• Partner with Plant Operations teams to support manufacturing readiness, startup stabilization, process performance, and operational improvement initiatives
• Perform additional duties as assigned

Qualifications

• 5+ years of manufacturing engineering, process engineering, reliability engineering, or technical operations experience
• Experience supporting high-volume manufacturing operations across 5 - 8 plants
• Experience improving operational performance related to throughput, uptime, reliability, yield, scrap reduction, and process capability
• Experience supporting process troubleshooting, operational stabilization, commissioning, startup, and manufacturing readiness initiatives
• Experience supporting execution of capital projects within manufacturing operations
• Experience driving engineering standardization and best practice adoption across manufacturing operations
• Strong technical problem-solving, troubleshooting, and operational support capability
• Strong communication, organizational, and cross-functional coordination capability
• Ability to coach, train, and support plant engineering teams across 5 - 8 plants
• Proficiency using common office technology and tools.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related technical discipline highly preferred

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Plastics Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related technical discipline.

Preferred Experience

Blown film extrusion, multilayer coextrusion, polyethylene processing, barrier film technologies, flexographic printing, bag manufacturing, wicket operations, shuttle bag machines, rotary bag machines, capital project management, reliability engineering, and continuous improvement leadership. Proficiency using common office technology and tools.

Travel Requirements

Up to 75% travel to manufacturing facilities, suppliers, and equipment vendors.

Success Metrics

Safety performance, OEE improvement, throughput gains, scrap reduction, yield improvement, reliability improvement and cost reductions. Project execution from development through commercialization. Product and process quality improvements.

• A reasonable estimate of the current range is $155,000-$170,000 + bonus + benefits. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target salaries for the position across all US locations. Within the range, individual pay is determined by job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. At Novolex, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at the top of the range for their role and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case.
• The benefits for this role include 401(k) plan with company match, comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, flexible spending and health savings accounts, paid vacation, and sick days, paid parental leave, paid holidays and wellness program.
• #INDSalaried
• #LI-Remote

Company Benefits

What You'll Get From Us

Benefits

• With safety as our top priority and a commitment to employee well-being an important focus, we offer comprehensive and competitive benefits that include medical, dental and vision insurance as well as a variety of other well-being resources focused on mental, physical and financial health. Specific benefits and well-being programs may vary depending on where you work.

Community Engagement

At Novolex, giving back to the local communities that support us is important. Our Focused Giving Program prioritizes support for organizations whose missions promote sustainability initiatives or address food and hunger needs. We also encourage facility level support of activities in the communities where our employees live and work.

Training and Development

We offer constant opportunities for advancement. From skills development to advanced education programs, training and development programs and courses are available through MyLearning. Programs include company and industry training curricula, support for formal education through the Tuition Reimbursement Program (Non-Union), and a Learning Management System that supports and enhances employee skills at all levels of the organization.

Novolex is committed to providing equal employment opportunity in all employment practices, including but not limited to selection, hiring, promotion, transfer, and compensation to all qualified applicants and employees without regard to age, race, color, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, handicap or disability, genetics, citizenship status, service member or veteran status, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local law. Any individual who, because of his or her disability, needs an accommodation in connection with an aspect of the Company's application process should contact [e-mail].

Formerly Pactiv Evergreen