Technical Specialist

at H B FULLER CO. in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States

Job Description

As the largest pureplay adhesives company in the world, H.B. Fuller's (NYSE: FUL) innovative, functional coatings, adhesives and sealants enhance the quality, safety and performance of products people use every day. Founded in 1887, with 2023 revenue of $3.5 billion, our mission to Connect What Matters is brought to life by more than 7,000 global team members who collaborate with customers across more than 30 market segments in over 140countries to develop highly specified solutions that enable customers to bring world-changing innovations to their end markets.

Technical Specialist
Location: St. Paul, MN on-site

The Technical Specialist is responsible for providing technical service for closing new business & maintaining existing business for the North America Flexible Packaging market segment. This position is primarily lab-based at our MN Corporate Headquarters. The Technical Specialist is responsible for supporting the existing NA Flexible Packaging product lines & the introduction of new products and/or new applications for business growth. The candidate is responsible for performing a variety of technical tasks including lab testing & pilot trials of products for product recommendations, customer requests, and customer complaints/claims, and maintaining and calibration of lab testing and application equipment. The candidate will work closely with cross-functional teams (Sales, R&D, PM&M, etc.) to support & accelerate business growth.

The Technical Specialist will have two direct reports & will have people management responsibilities among the following:
Independently conduct and lead lab testing and lab/pilot trials for existing and potential customers to support product introductions, product recommendation, product/process troubleshooting, root cause analysis of product complaints/claims. Work closely with R&D, Sales, and Field Technical Service teams to create value for our customers.
Maintain a safe and clean work environment, following all safety practices, and writing and training on all safety and SOP documentation for employees, customers, contractors, and visitors.
Utilize product knowledge & application testing expertise to demonstrate the features & benefits of existing & new products to our customers.
Prioritize technical service requests based on criteria agreed upon by internal cross-functional stakeholders. Generate project plans that include technical plan, resource needs, & timelines that are aligned with business & customer expectations. Execute projects using project management methodologies.
Analyze and interpret data to provide technical insight for product recommendations, product/process troubleshooting, & root cause analysis of product complaints/claims. Document technical results & insight & product/process recommendations in the form of internal and external technical report. Communicate technical results to internal stakeholders & customers.
Help develop & maintain a NA technical service project dashboard & provide dashboard updates to the cross-functional stakeholders at a regular cadence.
Develop, share, and maintain applications knowledge base for various Flexible Packaging product technologies. Assist the Field Technical Service team to run lamination trials internally and at customers, as needed.

Minimum Requirements:
High School Diploma and at least 7 years of relevant work and/or educational experience OR Associates or technical degree in related area of study and at least 5 years of relevant work experience OR Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering or related area of study and at least 3 years of relevant work experience.
Strong computer skills in Microsoft Office and comfortable learning and using the various H.B. Fuller software systems.
Demonstrated ability to simulate field applications and design test methods in the lab to generate product recommendations.
Demonstrated ability in product/process trouble shooting, root cause analysis of customer complaints/claims, being proactive in suggesting new products to fill product range gaps, supporting launch of new products/services.
Demonstrated ability to prepare & present technical presentations outlining product test results, product features & benefits in support of business growth.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, prioritize effectively, lead & manage a small team.
Ability to coach & mentor junior technical colleagues.
Strong team-player with ability to collaborate cross-functionally to drive results.
Travel required: up to 15-20% of the time.

Preferred Requirements:
Previous experience of Flexible Packaging adhesives, applications, testing instruments,... For full info follow application link.

H.B. Fuller is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.