Our vision at Haartz is to Inspire, Empower & Innovate

This is who we are looking for:

The R&D New Markets group at Haartz seeks a passionate and highly motivated Manager to join our growing team! Your role will be instrumental in shaping our future as new ideas, technologies, and ways of thinking drive our growth!

This is what you will be doing:

As the Manager of R&D - New Markets, you will manage the R&D team and be responsible for developing new and innovative products for New Markets. Your responsibilities also include developing the product from concept to commercialization. Ensure all design and process specifications are met before handing them to the production team.

Some responsibilities include:

• Identify suitable raw materials and design appropriate constructions and manufacturing processes by understanding the basic performance requirements of the end product.
• Core Material Research: Research fiber, yarn, fabrics, polymer compounds, elastomers (Rubbers, TPE’s), textile finish, and coatings that will meet customer specifications and performance requirements.
• Core Process Research: Develop novel coating and curing technologies for product development, process efficiency, and cost reduction.
• Commercializing new products to meet customer needs starts with the lab prototype, goes through Haartz production, and finally includes customer value-adding steps.

This is what you should bring:

Master's (M.S.) in Chemistry, Materials Science, Textiles, Chemical or Plastics engineering with a minimum of 5 years of new product development or relevant experience and demonstrated accomplishments. Minimum 2 years of Supervisory/managerial experience of relevant development staff/team.

Skills and Attribute

• Extensive know-how in extrusion, coatings, laminations, and textile development processes.
• Thorough understanding of chemical compounds, polymer compounds, coatings, adhesives, and textile finishes. 
• Ability to mentor team members with strong supervision skills required.
• Ability to manage the product line and be recognized as the subject matter expert with (customer/supplier).
• Critical thinking skills to solve problems in a collaborative manner
• Project management skills to manage multiple projects at any given time

During your interview process, our team will fill you in on all the details of our industry-leading benefits and career development opportunities. A few highlights include:

• Competitive pay, annual reviews, a biannual bonus program for all employees and overtime after 8 hours for some hourly positions
• Career advancement opportunities and a demonstrated history of promoting from within! We offer a variety of technical career paths; clearly defining a path for future growth based upon overall attitude, skills and potential!
• Comprehensive health care and wellness plans with VERY LOW deductibles and out of pocket costs for your entire family available on date of hire
• Paid time off including 11 paid holidays, vacation & sick leave
• Once eligibility is met, Haartz provides a 401(k) Savings Plan featuring a company match, as well as an annual retirement contribution that is based profitability regardless of whether you contribute.
• On-site gym, wellness program and EAP services
• A variety of schedule options. Depending on where you work, schedules may include full-time, reduced time, or part-time, all with the option of working additional hours if needed.
• Monthly perfect attendance bonus for hourly positions!
• As a thank you for helping us find great people, we offer a substantial employee referral bonus to make it easy for you to help us build our team!

To save time applying, Haartz does not offer sponsorship of job applicants for employment-based visas or any other work authorization for this position at this time.

Here are some of things you will love about Haartz!

All we accomplish is grounded in our core values! Here are a few ways that our employees know Haartz CARES!

C - Collaborate – Haartz promotes a safe team-first environment where people work toward a common goal! Your safety is very important to us, so we provide and pay for protective gear including safety glasses, uniforms with a cleaning service and we contribute 75% of the cost of up to 2 pairs of safety shoes a year! Employees are encouraged to get involved and participate in cross functional teams and stretch their mind as they continue to learn and grow!

A - Appreciate – We hope our employees have an attitude for gratitude, take the time to recognize others and celebrate success! Haartz encourages peer to peer recognition with our Driven program allowing employees to feel good and obtain company swag with miles earned! We also work hard to make sure we take some time to have some fun! Recent events include a fun filled day to celebrate our 100th anniversary at Kimball Farm, an onsite Fall Festival with carnival and inflatable games, food trucks and even a money machine! We keep hearing how much our employees like a midday treat so we regularly bring in fun snack trucks such as Cookie Monstah, Whoopie Wagon and Kona Ice to name a few… Check us out on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn to see what is it like to work at Haartz!

R - Respect – We foster an environment where people act with integrity and accountability, show compassion and empathy while acknowledging and embracing our differences! We are proud to have a diverse workforce and strive to learn from each other every day! We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and applicants for our positions are considered without regard to race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, religion, military or veteran status, or any other characteristics protected by law.

E - Enthusiasm – We strive to inspire and be inspired! We know how important it is to like spending time with the people you work with and for so we encourage people to lead with energy and passion and hope everyone learns something new every day! To help accomplish this, we provide comprehensive training programs, professional growth & development including 100% tuition reimbursement!

S - Service – We value our customers and world while striving for excellence and doing our best to make a difference! We organize drives for local charities, host Manufacturing Day events to encourage students and teachers to learn about our industry in hopes of continuing to keep manufacturing close to home!

Haartz is the world’s #1 supplier of automotive topping fabrics and the leading producer and innovator of interior trim materials including moldable skins and artificial leather.

Don’t miss this opportunity! Apply Today!