Function Director-Product Development

Clearwater Paper (NYSE: CLW) is a publicly held company and a premier supplier of private brand tissue to major retailers, including grocery, drug, mass merchants and discount stores. In addition, the company produces bleached paperboard used by quality-conscious printers and packaging converters, and offers services that include custom sheeting, slitting, and cutting. Clearwater Paper's employees build shareholder value by developing strong relationships through quality and service. Working at Clearwater Paper provides an opportunity to enrich your career through challenging and meaningful work and ongoing training and development-all in a supportive environment. We know our success depends on your success.

What you will do:

Customer Focus & Services

• Assists our converter customers and end users in implementing product trial plans at the mill and converter level.
• Facilitates product development communication between end users, converters and CLW.
• Facilitates internal trial planning communication with customer service, product management, supply chain and mill operations.
• Supports Director of Product Management in suggesting and driving product specifications with quality and operations to meet the relevant demands of the marketplace.
• Plans and implements customer, CST and CLW product trial plans that will help customers improve efficiency, profitability, and product differentiation.
• Works with customers in implementing recommended improvement initiatives.
• Conducts pro-active customer calls to build relationships with customer operations personnel and develop an in-depth understanding of the customer's processes and paperboard requirements for product development.
• Works with customers in a way that supports their business plans and goals so that Clearwater Paper is viewed as their business partner and their preferred paperboard supplier of choice.
• Makes customer team calls with sales, CST, product management, and marketing personnel.

Technical Support & Services

• Assists with Converter trials at customer's operations or at the mill as required. Works intimately with customer and CLW to identify trial gaps and opportunities.
• Acts as customer advocate at the mill regarding product development, to be able to give operations a complete understanding of customer needs as they relate to developing and trialling our products. Assists in the development of appropriate customer related board specifications.
• Assists with print trials that support product development.

Leadership

• Provides guidance to customers, external converter operations and internal CLW operations to ensure that technical skills are continually sharpened by training and mentoring.
• Coordinates the product development quality and product performance feedback to operations management.
• Leads by example - high level of trust and integrity.
• Collaborates with CST Director in defining future direction of the team.

Key Competencies & Attributes

• High degree of business curiosity; quick learner with a proactive and agile mindset
• Optimistically looks toward future for opportunities to innovate and improve
• Strong understanding of critical financial business metrics; ability to develop and leverage data to quantitively and analytically make business decisions and take smart risks
• Demonstrated ability to understand the organizational impact in decision making; see the big picture and distil it into action plans Able to think strategically and act tactically; hands on
• Demonstrated leadership courage to identify and communicate project risks; develop, align resources and communicate countermeasures to mitigate risks.
• Strong capability in project planning and management
• Demonstrated ability to lead in a matrixed and highly collaborative environment to influence change and core processes
• Demonstrated strong change management skills; aligning and bringing others along - act to improve culture, process, products
• Confidence in dealing with ambiguity; bringing different perspectives to light and rallying others to aligned goals and objectives
• Exceptional communication skills (written and verbal); leading and presenting complex materials for various audiences

What you will need:

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering required, Master's Degree in either Engineering or MBA strongly preferred
• 10+ years of progressive responsibility in manufacturing operations required
• 5+ years budgetary responsibilities (Project or Operating Budget)
• Commercial experience strongly preferred
• Experience in paper industry strongly preferred; continuous manufacturing considered
• Commercial leadership experience (marketing, supply chain and or sales) is a distinctive differentiator
• Able to move seamlessly between technical and commercial discussions and stakeholders
• Strong project management skills
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills
• Highly adept performing at a fast pace
• Proficient at communicating and collaborating across multiple stakeholders
• Confident and proficient in navigating in an automated environment with proficiency in MS Office Suite, multiple business intelligence databases
• Manufacturing environment involving high speed equipment, high noise levels, heat, and cold and mill environments.
• Frequent air and automobile travel.
• Foreign travel with extended airtime.
• Personal protective equipment required in mill/manufacturing environments.
• Some physical exertion required
• Lifting & bending; carrying suite cases, briefcase, entry and exit of various aircraft, buses, taxis etc.

Total Reward Details:
We're committed to providing an exceptional workplace experience, including a comprehensive total reward package. This position is eligible for our Incentive Plan. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate's job-related knowledge, skills, education, and experience among other factors. Benefits are generally available after 30 days and include medical, dental, vision, life, disability coverage, employee assistance program, and 401k plan. Paid time off will include vacation days, personal days, and company holidays.

#LI-Hybrid #Clearwater

Clearwater Paper does not offer sponsorship for employment-based visa status (including, but not limited to, H-1B visa status and other employment-based nonimmigrant visas) for this position. Accordingly, all applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis and must not require Clearwater Paper's sponsorship to continue to work legally in the United States.