Packaging Engineer II

Learning Resources® Packaging Engineer

We are Learning Resources®, and learning is where we play. Voted one of the Chicago Tribune's Top Workplaces, we're a growing, family-owned company known for our award-winning educational toys, including top sellers Pretend & Play® Calculator Cash Register, Farmer's Market Color Sorting Set and multiple Toy of the Year winners! We even help pets learn and grow through our pet brand Brightkins®. If you're curious, collaborative, and a kid at heart, you'll feel right at home here. Join us in shaping the future of learning with our award-winning team!

What you'll do day to day:

• Create open packaging structures required by major brick‑and‑mortar retailers
• Design and develop POP and on‑shelf solutions including PDQs, sidekicks, side caps, FDSUs, and clip strips
• Revamp existing product packaging to improve margin, execution, speed to market, or retail performance
• Create structural mockups and samples for retailer sell‑ins, line reviews, and customer presentations
• Identify opportunities to reduce packaging material usage through efficient structural design
• Optimize unit cartons and master cartons for freight, container utilization, and warehouse efficiency
• Partner with Sourcing and Supply Chain during resourcing to adjust packaging dimensions and specifications
• Create structural dielines for retail and e‑commerce packaging, including dual‑route solutions
• Produce vendor‑ready spec packets and manufacturable files
• Maintain expertise in retailer packaging requirements, constraints, and best practices
• Support tradeshow layouts and provide early packaging feasibility input during product concept development

What we're looking for (Key Performance Objectives):

• Create open and retail packaging structures that meet major retailer requirements and in‑store constraints (100% of assigned SKUs approved as retail‑ready; minimal rework during line reviews) for every assigned new and revised SKU, based on project mix
• Design POP and on‑shelf display solutions, including PDQs, sidekicks, side caps, and FDSUs (sell‑in‑ready mockups and manufacturable structures supporting priority retail programs) for key line reviews and seasonal sales moments each year, where applicable
• Optimize packaging materials, unit cartons, and master cartons to improve cost, freight, and warehouse efficiency (targeting ~3–8% material or cube reduction opportunities where feasible) on an annual basis, dependent on SKU mix and retailer constraints
• Develop manufacturable dielines, specifications, and vendor‑ready packaging packets (on‑time delivery for ~95% of launches; files meeting cost, compliance, and durability standards) for every new product launch, excluding retailer‑mandated or legacy‑locked structures

Requirements/Ideal Attributes:

• Bachelor's degree in Packaging Engineering, Packaging Design, Industrial Design (with packaging focus), or a related field
• Demonstrated experience designing open toy or game packaging that meets retailer requirements, safety standards, and in‑store execution constraints
• 3–5 years of experience in packaging engineering or structural packaging design
• Experience with open packaging, retail POP, and dual‑route (retail + e‑commerce) solutions
• Demonstrated experience designing with cost, manufacturability, and logistics in mind
• Experience collaborating directly with overseas manufacturing vendors
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects in parallel

We are a drug-free workplace and an EEO employer.

Please note: This role will be filled by our internal recruitment team, so no assistance is needed from any outside staffing agency at this time.

Compensation Range: $80,000 – $90,000 annual salary – Actual compensation may vary due to other factors such as: years of experience, skill set and location. Total compensation includes profit sharing bonus potential, 401k matching, and a variety of other benefits.