Senior Product Development Manager

Founded over 35 years ago, First Quality is a family-owned company that has grown from a small business in McElhattan, Pennsylvania into a group of companies, employing over 5,000 team members, while maintaining our family values and entrepreneurial spirit. With corporate offices in New York and Pennsylvania and 8 manufacturing campuses across the U.S. and Canada, the companies within the First Quality group produce high-quality personal care and household products for large retailers and healthcare organizations. Our personal care and household product portfolio includes baby diapers, wipes, feminine pads, paper towels, bath tissue, adult incontinence products, laundry detergents, fabric finishers, and dishwash solutions. In addition, we manufacture certain raw materials and components used in the manufacturing of these products, including flexible print and packaging solutions. Guided by our values of humility, unity, and integrity, we leverage advanced technology and innovation to drive growth and create new opportunities. At First Quality, you’ll find a collaborative environment focused on continuous learning, professional development, and our mission to Make Things Better®. We are seeking a Senior Product Development Manager for our First Quality Retail Services located in Lewistown, PA.  This position develops and introduces new products and modifies existing products to meet customer needs.  Collaborates with Business Unit to identify customer needs and interacts with Operations (Process Engineers, Production Planning, Project Engineers and Quality Assurance) and Marketing to implement new products in a timely manner. Must maintain an up-to-date information base on relevant new product developments (i.e. via commercial, professional, professional contacts & patent literature) and represents First Quality on professional technical committees.Primary responsibilities include: Leads a cross-functional team to plan, develop, and implement product improvements and new product introductions from Operations through to the Marketplace.Investigates new technologies (materials & equipment) and their applicability to absorbent products.Works with Marketing to plan, conduct, analyze, and interpret consumer/market research studies.Plans, conducts, analyzes, and interprets product use tests to benchmark competitive product performance.Works with Patent/Trademark attorney on intellectual property considerations (patentability, infringement searches, right-to-market reviews, etc.)Prepares preliminary product costing for new products.Provides market-intelligence to corporation (patents/trademarks/industry news/etc).Benchmarks competitive products and develops strategies to maintain effective advantages.Conduct periodic review of technology patents, industry trademarks, as well as keeping abreast of new product introductions into the category.Develop new products from concept t...