Packaging Engineer - Double Seam/Retort and Flexible Packaging

Job Description

Job Description

Position Overview

The Packaging Engineer will lead packaging innovation, development, and cost optimization initiatives for a leading food manufacturing organization. This role is responsible for identifying, evaluating, and implementing new packaging materials, formats, equipment, and processes to support new product commercialization and continuous improvement initiatives.

This individual will serve as the technical expert across multiple food packaging platforms—including metal cans, trays, bowls, cups, pouches, and other rigid and flexible packaging systems. The Packaging Engineer will partner closely with R&D, Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, and external suppliers to develop packaging solutions that meet performance, quality, regulatory, cost, shelf-life, and consumer expectations. Experience supporting commercially sterile food packaging and metal can double-seam integrity is highly desirable.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the packaging needs of assigned business and product categories.
• Lead packaging development activities from concept through commercialization for new products, line extensions, packaging enhancements, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Manage multiple packaging innovation, optimization, and cost-reduction projects simultaneously.
• Identify opportunities for new packaging technologies, materials, equipment, and manufacturing processes that improve product quality, operational efficiency, sustainability, and cost.
• Provide technical leadership across multiple packaging platforms, including metal cans, trays, bowls, cups, pouches, and other rigid and flexible packaging formats.
• Evaluate packaging performance through package testing, seal integrity, container integrity, barrier performance, and shelf-life validation.
• Monitor and evaluate double-seam performance for metal can packaging through routine measurement, teardown analysis, and statistical trending to ensure compliance with internal specifications and regulatory requirements.
• Troubleshoot packaging-related manufacturing issues involving filling, sealing, retorting, conveying, and secondary packaging equipment.
• Partner with Operations and Quality to investigate packaging failures, conduct root cause analyses, and implement corrective and preventive actions.
• Plan, coordinate, and execute plant trials, packaging validations, and commercialization activities while documenting results through technical reports and presentations.
• Collaborate with Supply Chain and external packaging suppliers to qualify new materials, support vendor development, and execute packaging-related capital projects.
• Recommend and implement packaging improvements based on manufacturing performance, consumer insights, quality metrics, and cost analyses.
• Stay current on packaging technologies, sustainability initiatives, industry trends, and regulatory requirements affecting commercially sterile food products.
• Perform other duties and special projects as assigned.
• Travel up to 20% as business needs require.

Qualifications Required

• Bachelor's degree in Packaging Engineering, Food Science, Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 3–5 years of packaging engineering experience within food manufacturing.
• Experience developing and commercializing food packaging across one or more packaging platforms, including metal cans, trays, bowls, cups, pouches, cartons, or other rigid and flexible packaging systems.
• Strong understanding of packaging materials, product/package interactions, package testing methodologies, and shelf-life considerations.
• Experience supporting packaging equipment and manufacturing processes, including filling, sealing, conveying, retorting, or related operations.
• Ability to manage multiple technical projects simultaneously in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Strong analytical, organizational, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to work effectively across cross-functional teams.

Preferred

• Experience with metal can packaging, including double-seam evaluation, seam integrity, and container performance.
• Experience with retortable trays, pouches, bowls, or aseptic/UHT packaging systems.
• Familiarity with seamers, fillers, retorts, heat-sealing equipment, and related packaging machinery.
• Knowledge of FDA and USDA regulations governing commercially sterile foods, including Low-Acid Canned Foods (LACF).
• Experience supporting packaging automation, equipment installations, or packaging-related capital projects.
• Master's degree in Packaging Engineering, Food Science, Engineering, or Business.