Technology & Color Lab

Klöckner Pentaplast; Gordonsville (VA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Klockner Pentaplast is seeking a Color Systems Manager to lead color development, matching, and maintenance across North American production. You will collaborate with marketing, sales, production, pigment suppliers, and instrument vendors to develop new colors and support cost-reduction initiatives.

The role requires strong color measurement skills, ERP familiarity, and ability to translate specifications into actionable targets and processes.

Qualifications

• Associate degree or equivalent required.
• Experience with color development and pigment testing preferred.
• Ability to interpret specifications and adjust color targets.

Responsibilities

• Lead color development and color matching projects.
• Maintain color targets and specs; ensure color consistency.
• Develop color recipes in ERP and support lab methods.

Skills

Color matching

Pigment sourcing

Color measurement

ERP systems

Color specifications

Laboratory testing

Production training

Education

Associate degree or equivalent

Tools

MS Excel

PowerPoint

Word

Job description

Internal Opportunity

• Interacts with pigment suppliers to evaluate and qualify new pigments for cost-reduction and formulation improvement initiatives.
• Provides custom color matching for customer requests, including laboratory-scale color development and scale-up to production quantities.
• Establishes, maintains, and monitors color measurement instrumentation and software across North American production facilities. Provides training to production staff as needed.
• Develops and maintains color targets and specifications. Monitors production color data and adjusts targets and specifications as needed to ensure color consistency.
• Leads investigations into pigment-related processing and quality issues and develops corrective actions as needed.
• Creates and maintain color recipes within Klockner Pentaplast’s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system.
• With guidance from the Material Technology Manager, drafts and implements new and revised laboratory test methods and departmental procedures.

Summary

The Color Systems Manager is responsible for leading all activities related to color development, color matching, and color maintenance for Klockner Pentaplast plastic films. The Color Systems Manager will collaborate with marketing, sales, production, pigment suppliers, and instrument vendors to develop new colors, improve production, ensure color consistency, and support cost-reduction initiatives.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Interacts with pigment suppliers to evaluate and qualify new pigments for cost-reduction and formulation improvement initiatives.
• Provides custom color matching for customer requests, including laboratory-scale color development and scale-up to production quantities.
• Establishes, maintains, and monitors color measurement instrumentation and software across North American production facilities. Provides training to production staff as needed.
• Develops and maintains color targets and specifications. Monitors production color data and adjusts targets and specifications as needed to ensure color consistency.
• Leads investigations into pigment-related processing and quality issues and develops corrective actions as needed.
• Creates and maintain color recipes within Klockner Pentaplast’s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system.
• With guidance from the Material Technology Manager, drafts and implements new and revised laboratory test methods and departmental procedures.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education And/or Experience

Associate's degree (A. A.) or equivalent from two-year college or technical school; or six months to one year related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Language Skills

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.

Mathematical Skills

Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference, and fundamentals of plane and solid geometry and trigonometry. Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.

Reasoning Ability

Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

Computer Skills

To perform this job successfully, an individual should have knowledge of Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.

Other Skills And Abilities

Must have a good eye for color. Knowledge of spectrophotometers, how to set them up, and how to use them in a day-to-day color evaluation is ideal. Must have a working knowledge of statistical methods and how to apply them to setting up color specifications. The individual should possess good team skills. A background in plastics calendaring and extrusion is desired.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; talk or hear and taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision and ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is occasionally exposed to moving mechanical parts. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

At kp, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is vital to our global success. We welcome applicants from all identities, ideas, perspectives and experiences and encourage people from underrepresented backgrounds to apply. We aim to create an inclusive culture where our employees feel empowered to play to their strengths and see themselves reflected in the organization without regard to race, gender, religion, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, sexual preference, marital status, or inclusion in any other protected class.