Principal Innovation Engineer
Carlisle Fluid Technologies

Job Info

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The Principal/Senior Innovation Engineer leads R&D initiatives to drive product and process innovation for building envelope systems. This role involves developing new technologies, gathering customer feedback for transformational and front-end innovations, and supporting R&D activities such as prototype creation, formulation testing, and scale-up planning. The engineer collaborates with new technology vendors, develops toll manufacturers to scale production, and designs equipment and processes for emerging technologies.

In addition to optimizing existing products, this role emphasizes cost efficiency in operations and installations, ensuring adherence to design and performance standards. The engineer will apply the latest lab, pilot, and plant-scale processing technologies and evaluation tools to develop new products, formulations, and methods.

This position requires proactive research, cross-functional collaboration, and alignment with business goals. Strong communication skills are essential, demonstrated through mentoring, knowledge sharing, and collaboration with internal and external stakeholders. The engineer will bridge Innovation R&D, Engineering, and Plant Operations, as well as external partners, providing technical guidance to ensure customer needs and organizational goals are met. This position operates under the general guidance of R&D/Innovation leadership, aligning with the company's goals for sustainability and technological advancement. This position will operate under the general guidance of Team Leader, Manager or Director R&D/Innovation.

Duties and Responsibilities

* Innovation Research

* Partner with universities, new technology vendors, and raw material suppliers to identify and develop transformative technologies.
* Conduct research on emerging technologies to support the development of future products and processes.
* Collaborate with raw material suppliers to innovate new raw materials.
* Collaborate and share knowledge with internal teams and external partners to advance innovation efforts.
* New Product / Process Development

* Lead research and development efforts to create and bring new products and processes to market.
* Develop and validate new testing methods that support product and process innovation.
* Prioritize and align project work with business goals and market demands.
* Cost Optimization

* Manage and optimize existing formulations to improve cost-efficiency.
* Explore new formulations that enhance performance while reducing costs.
* Serve as a technical resource, providing expertise and guidance on technical inquiries.

Principal Accountabilities

* Support the Innovation Leader as the technical expert, maintaining state-of-the-art competencies in Transformational and Front-End Innovation projects.
* Provide advanced technical support for existing product lines and core focus areas.
* Lead the identification and integration of new materials, processes, and designs, aligning with strategic innovation objectives.
* Manage ideation and business case development for Transformational and Phase-Gate projects.
* Drive product technology advancements and innovations by investigating, creating, and bringing in new materials, processes, designs, and procedures into the organization.
* Manage and lead the Ideation and Building the Business Case efforts of Transformational Innovation, Front-End Innovation and Phase-Gate development projects.
* Communicate project status, study results, innovative efforts, etc., regularly and effectively (meetings, reports and presentations).
* Adapt to evolving business needs, supporting changing priorities while driving innovation goals.

Required Skills/Abilities/Knowledge

* Material Science & Engineering

* Strong knowledge of polymers, materials, and compounds for product formulation and process innovation.
* Proficiency in material selection and process development using small-, pilot-, and plant-scale equipment, including batch and continuous manufacturing processes.
* Safety compliance and procedures knowledge
* Math/algebra/applied statistics
* Laboratory Information Data System knowledge
* Computer knowledge of current programs
* Processing technology

* Expertise in processing technologies, polymer manufacturing, assembly, and fabrication.
* Skilled in using analytical, mechanical property, and chemical processing equipment; familiar with field and system testing, particularly for building envelope applications.
* Experience applying Lean principles to optimize processes, reduce waste, and improve efficiency.
* Small-, Pilot-, Plant-scale batch- and/or continuous-manufacturing processes and equipment
* Assembly and Fabrication
* Testing equipment
* Solid foundation in test equipment, method development, safety compliance, applied statistics, and mathematical reasoning.
* Proficiency in Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS), data analysis, and computer literacy.
* Elementary concepts in building envelope system technology

* Design
* Installation
* Product / System testing in the Field
* Knowledge of polymer materials and compounds
* Company rules, regulations, policies, and procedures.
* Internal processing and purchasing specifications.
* Standard test methods and procedures
* Handling, storage safe handling of hazardous waste and materials.
* Data Analysis

* Leadership skills
* Interpersonal skills-oral communication, written communication
* Computer literacy
* Operation, troubleshooting, and maintenance of all lab equipment
* Individual and group problem solving skills
* Mathematical reasoning and problem solving

Education and Experience:

* Education -

* Bachelor of Science in Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Polymer Science, or related technical discipline.
* Candidates with an Associate degree in Mechanical Engineering and 20+ years of relevant experience will also be considered.
* Equivalency - Completion of a bachelor's degree in a technical field, including laboratory coursework. Candidates with other relevant industry experience may also be considered.
* Experience - 10 years of experience as an R&D Scientist or engineer, Plant Quality engineer, or Materials Scientist in a manufacturing plant, test lab, or R&D facility.

Travel Requirement

* Some travel is required, approximately 10 to 20% of travel time (although more travel may be required on occasion).

Equal Opportunity Employer Minorities/Women/Protected Veterans/Disabled

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