Sr. Packaging Engineer

Job Description:

The Associate will work closely with associated functions in the global and regional teams to enable delivery. In addition, they will work with a large external network of suppliers and agencies to enable technical solutions to be developed. The associate is autonomous in developing the technical solution for their project portfolio.

What are we looking for?

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a technical discipline; Science, Engineering or Packaging/Product Design or equivalent

• 6+ of years’ experience in packaging development, packaging engineering or a technically related discipline

• Packaging material understanding including sustainable materials, flexible packaging experience

• Interaction between product and packaging (e.g., migration, barrier properties) & testing

• Leveraging internal & external networks

• 10-20% travel required

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree in a technical discipline; Science, Engineering or Packaging/Product Design

• Filling Technologies (material/machine interaction & understanding) preferred.

• Awareness of printing processes and technologies

• Design acumen and consumer testing methodologies

What will be your key responsibilities?

Project Delivery: Delivery of all the packaging components for Innovation projects including packaging to support delivery of projects being developed in the Science & Technology programmes. Taking projects from ideas and concepts to technical readiness and managing the packaging timeline & budget. Accountabilities include: Concept & design work at the framing stage; input into Desirability/Feasibility/Viability/Sustainability (DVFS) assessments including financials; material and machinery design and optimisation, trialling and testing. Delivery of global packaging specifications at regional handover.  As the role primarily deals with innovations there is a specific accountability in terms of IP, both risks and opportunities and all elements of upfront Packaging Quality Management including the PRA (Packaging Risk Assessment).

Collaborative Teamwork: Being the packaging workstream leader for global projects, working in close collaboration with Global Marketing, R&D, Engineering, Supply and Commercial. Working with CTI/CMI and marketing to develop and evaluate new packaging concepts ensuring a holistic design approach across product/packaging/brand. Working with global and regional engineering and supply to ensure the best global technical engineering solutions for collation and filling. On occasions packaging team members may lead projects in the role of overall project TPL.

Capability Build: Taking an active role in building global packaging capability within the broader team via leadership of an area of the Global Packaging Strategy.  Would also play an active role in packaging sub-teams and any packaging communications/town halls.

Design Excellence: As part of capability build would play a supporting role in ensuring that packaging design is considered as central to the holistic product experience and packaging requirements and desires are built into the framing and concept building process. A thorough end to end understanding of packaging inputs and opportunities across the full product consumer journey to ensure consumer centric packaging is delivered. For their projects would be the owner of the global packaging design brief and would hold accountability for design agency briefing.

Technical Excellence: Detailed knowledge and understanding of the internal packaging development process and associated and aligned business processes including PLM and PQM. A thorough understanding of product/pack interactions, DOEs, required test methodologies (including shelf life and palatability) for given technologies and data knowledge management. Accountability for detailed record keeping and reports and global packaging specifications. Responsible for understanding regional trade requirements and on-shelf/off-shelf impact in all channels including Grocery, Specialist Pet Trade, Discounters and E-commerce.

Future Materials: Sourcing, developing and delivery of new material innovations for global roll-out. Taking materials through the Technical Readiness Level (TRL) gates for transfer into Innovation (Quest) or Quality/Efficiency/Sustainability (QES) projects. Ensure that all new packaging Innovations are ‘Designed for Circularity’ (D4C), are designed to minimise plastic use, conform to any required packaging legislation and are tested to ensure compliance.

Packaging Pulse: