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 an experienced Associate Product Development Scientist for our First Quality Retail Services facility located in Lewistown, PA. This position is responsible for creating, developing, testing, and implementing new and proprietary designs of Baby Diaper and/or Adult Incontinence products based upon business, customer, and consumer needs. Provide support for the needs of present product systems to assure competitive performance and value.
Principal Accountabilities/ Responsibilities:
- Contribute to FQ as a member of the Product Development team by executing projects in timely, diligent, safe, and professional manner.
- Work with cross functional teams across the business to support and develop the design new products and product improvements to meet business and consumer needs.
- Lead the development of new and improved materials and technologies with suppliers, and ensure all new raw materials obtain proper safety testing and clearance.
- Maintain the existing business product cost improvements through product redesigns and improvements.
- Support in corporate proprietary technology by documenting novel ideas.
- Complete product testing of internal and competitive products to understand and compare product performance.
- Develop new test methods to better predict and understand product performance in use.
- Duties and responsibilities may be added, deleted or changed at any time at the discretion of management, formally or informally, either verbally or in writing.
Education and experience requirements:
- Technical Bachelor’s degree (e.g. Engineering, Chemistry, Biology) or equivalent
- Zero to two+ years in R&D inventing, developing and implementing new products
- Knowledge of retail absorbent products preferred.
- Experience with the scientific method of testing hypotheses, resulting in specific conclusions and recommendations.
- Able to speak, read and write the English language and have strong oral and written communication skills.
- Good analytical skills, with working knowledge of basic statistics
- Good computer skills with Microsoft Office programs
- Able to travel occasionally to US and International manufacturing plants for product and process trials.
What We Offer You
We believe that by continuously improving the quality of our benefits, we can help to raise the quality of life for our team members and their families. At First Quality you will receive:
Competitive base salary and bonus opportunities
Paid time off (three-week minimum)
Medical, dental and vision starting day one
401(k) with employer match
Paid parental leave
Child and family care assistance (dependent care FSA with employer match up to $2500)
Bundle of joy benefit (years’ worth of free diapers to all team members with a new baby)
Tuition assistance
Wellness program with savings of up to $4,000 per year on insurance premiums
...and more!
First Quality is committed to protecting information under the care of First Quality Enterprises commensurate with leading industry standards and applicable regulations. As such, First Quality provides at least annual training regarding data privacy and security to employees who, as a result of their role specifications, may come in to contact with sensitive data.
First Quality is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identification, or protected Veteran status.
For immediate consideration, please go to the Careers section at www.firstquality.com to complete our online application.
First Quality is committed to protecting information under the care of First Quality Enterprises commensurate with leading industry standards and applicable regulations. As such, First Quality provides at least annual training regarding data privacy and security to employees who, as a result of their role specifications, may come in to contact with sensitive data.
First Quality is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identification, or protected Veteran status.
Top Skills
What We Do
First Quality was founded over 30 years ago and has grown to become a diversified family of companies with over 4,000 employees. Manufacturing Adult Incontinence Products, Feminine Hygiene Products, Baby Wipes, Adult Washcloths, and Consumer Paper Products, we serve institutional and retail markets throughout the world. Our trusted, household brands include Prevail®, Cuties®, Plenty®, Panda®, and Incognito® Our facilities operate independently to maintain focus on the markets they serve, but benefit from being a part of the First Quality family of companies. We may be spread out across 9 locations and 2 countries, but we are one team! With our focus on innovation, technology, and sustainability, we strive to create the best products that stand out and make a real difference in people’s lives without ever sacrificing quality for affordability. If advanced technology, innovative thinking, and a passion for challenging the status quo excite you, come join our team at First Quality! When you look at one of our job listings what you’ll find is an opportunity: to meet teams who challenge each other to improve, encounter leaders who empower you to experiment, and discover work that inspires you. As a new employee in our FQ family your training begins day one and continues throughout your career as you learn and grow with our organization. Be part of making things better – apply today to join our team at www.firstquality.com/join-us!
