Product Development Specialist – Conveyor Belt Textiles

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Ohio.

📋 Description

• Design and enhance conveyor belt products, guiding them from initial concept through prototyping, testing, manufacturing trials, field validation, and commercialization.

• Improve the performance of trough and pipe belts by refining textile reinforcement, carcass construction, strength, flexibility, load support, fatigue resistance, adhesion, tracking, dimensional stability, and splice performance.

• Create agricultural and engineered solutions by transforming customer and application needs into technically robust product designs and specifications.

• Revise existing belt constructions to boost durability, reliability, service life, field performance, and overall market competitiveness.

• Assess textile materials and constructions, including alternative fabrics, reinforcement technologies, and suppliers.

• Establish testing and qualification protocols for new materials, constructions, and product enhancements.

• Assist in manufacturing and industrialization processes to guarantee that new or modified products can be produced safely, consistently, and cost-effectively.

• Perform technical and failure analyses to pinpoint root causes of significant product-performance challenges, translating findings into corrective measures and future product enhancements.

• Provide support for service materials related to belt splicing, repair, reinforcement, installation, and maintenance.

• Lead or assist with specialized technical projects, including competitive benchmarking, customer-specific developments, product redesign, material qualification, cost optimization, and manufacturing transfers.

• Collaborate cross-functionally with teams in Product Development, Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Product Management, Technical Service, and Commercial areas.

⛳️ Requirements

• A Bachelor's degree in Textile Engineering, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Polymer Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related field.

• A minimum of 5 years of relevant industry experience is preferred, especially in conveyor belt product development, industrial textiles, engineered rubber products, conveyor manufacturing, application engineering, or technical service.

• Direct experience with heavy-duty textile conveyor belts, troughed belts, pipe belts, or similar engineered belting applications.

• Knowledge in textile reinforcement and conveyor belt carcass design.

• Familiarity with industrial fabrics and reinforcement materials.

• Understanding of rubber-to-textile adhesion and material interactions.

• Proficiency in belt strength, elongation, flexibility, and fatigue analysis.

• Experience with splicing and belt construction techniques.

• Skills in product testing and qualification processes.

• Knowledge in manufacturing and product industrialization.

• Ability to conduct root-cause and failure analysis.

• Experience in value engineering and product optimization.

• Legal authorization to work in the U.S. is a requirement.

• The employer will not sponsor individuals for employment visas now or in the future.

🏝️ Benefits

• Immediate Benefits

• Paid Time Off

• Tuition Assistance & Employee Discounts

• Employer 401(k) Match

• Competitive Bonus Programs

• Employee Assistance Program

• Future Growth Opportunities, including personal and professional development

• No relocation provided for this role