Innovation Manager

At adapa Group, innovation is a key driver of our growth and sustainability journey. We are looking for an experienced Innovation Manager Extrusion Films to lead and coordinate innovation activities across our extrusion film operations, with a focus on blown film coextrusion (up to 9 layers), MDO technology, and cast extrusion.

This role is ideally based at or near our site in Gambassi Terme, Italy, and involves close collaboration with our teams in Finland and Germany (Kempten). You will play a pivotal role in driving product innovation, supporting strategic customer projects, and aligning innovation activities across multiple production sites.

The extruded semi-finished products developed in this role are supplied both to adapa's internal converting sites and to external customers within the converting industry.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage cross-site innovation projects for extrusion films.
• Define and implement innovation strategies aligned with adapa Group's business objectives.
• Manage and develop the local Innovation team, ensuring effective prioritization and execution of projects.
• Drive the development of innovative packaging solutions based on customer and market requirements.
• Evaluate customer projects from both technical and commercial perspectives during approval phases.
• Manage technical product data and formulation information within the ERP system.
• Apply Design for Recycling (D4R) principles and ensure compliance with PPWR and other regulatory requirements.
• Support the creation of technical documentation, including product data sheets, Life Cycle Assessments (LCA), and Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) calculations.
• Ensure new products comply with legal, environmental, and recyclability standards while proactively developing future-proof solutions.
• Monitor project performance through reporting tools and relevant KPIs.
• Act as a technical partner for strategic customers and key accounts.
• Collaborate closely with adapa's Innovation Converting Team on joint development initiatives.
• Work alongside Engineering teams to assess production capabilities and support the industrialization of new products.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

You will work closely with several key functions across the organization, including:

• Operations: providing technical support for extrusion processes and production optimization.
• Quality: supporting audits, claims management, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Sales: participating in customer meetings, technical discussions, trials, and project reviews.
• Procurement: supporting raw material qualification and sourcing strategies.
• Sustainability: driving initiatives related to D4R, PPWR, PCF, and LCA.
• Marketing: providing technical expertise and content for exhibitions, publications, and promotional materials.

Your Profile

• Degree in Materials Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Industrial Chemistry, or a comparable technical field.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in film development, coextrusion, MDO technology, or related packaging industries.
• Strong knowledge of packaging films, polymers, and extrusion technologies.
• Hands-on approach with proven experience in product implementation, process optimization, and troubleshooting.
• Strong customer focus and experience interacting with key customers.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills in English.
• Confident, proactive, and results-oriented personality.
• Strong leadership, project management, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively in international and cross-functional teams.
• Willingness to travel approximately 25%.

Why adapa?

At adapa, you will have the opportunity to work in an international and innovation-driven environment, collaborating with colleagues across Europe to develop sustainable packaging solutions for the future. If you are passionate about technology, innovation, and customer-focused product development, we would love to hear from you.

Annual gross salary: 70.000 - 75.000 eur