Packaging Development Engineer

Packaging Development Engineer

Location: Remote (Candidates must be based in AZ, CA, MD, IL, or GA) Classification: Exempt (Salaried) Work Schedules: Full-Time; Requires frequent travel to manufacturing sites in AZ and MD.

This role is with a premier specialty contract packaging (co-packer) and OEM food manufacturer recognized for developing custom solutions across a vast product portfolio. Their expertise ranges from dry goods, such as seasonings and mixes, to liquid and viscous products, including sauces and dressings, serving a diverse customer base in retail, foodservice, and industrial sectors. They are seeking an experienced Packaging Development Engineer to join their R&D team. This critical role involves the end-to-end development and design of packaging materials for both new and existing food products. While this position offers a remote work structure for candidates based in CA, IL, or GA, it requires a professional comfortable with frequent travel to production facilities in Arizona and Maryland to ensure successful scale-up, testing, and implementation of packaging designs.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Material Development: Develop, select, and design appropriate containers, films, and packaging materials for all new food products, specifically focusing on the unique barrier and shelf-life requirements for sauces, seasonings, and dry mixes.
• Sustainability Leadership: Propose, champion, and implement sustainable packaging solutions, such as paper conversion and the increased use of recycled and biodegradable materials.
• Vendor Liaison: Act as the primary technical contact, collaborating and negotiating with external packaging material suppliers, printing companies, and filling machine manufacturers.
• On-Site Integration: Travel to manufacturing sites in Arizona and Maryland to evaluate and confirm the suitability of packaging on mass production and filling lines; provide expert technical support to troubleshoot and resolve packaging-related production issues.
• Standards & Testing: Establish comprehensive packaging specifications and define quality and durability testing standards to ensure product integrity throughout the supply chain.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with Marketing, Product Development, and Manufacturing teams to deliver optimal packaging solutions throughout the entire product lifecycle.
• Value Engineering: Lead efforts to identify and implement strategic cost-reduction measures related to packaging design and materials procurement.

Qualifications

• Technical Breadth: Demonstrated knowledge of a wide variety of packaging materials, including plastics, laminated films, paper containers, and bottles.
• Operational Insight: Solid understanding of packaging machinery and filling equipment, including the ability to conduct formal compatibility assessments on-site.
• Commercial Acumen: Proven experience in technical negotiations with packaging suppliers and the strategic purchasing of packaging materials.
• Required Residency in California, Illinois, or Georgia. Willingness and ability to travel frequently (up to 40-50%) to AZ and MD facilities.
• A minimum of 3 years of professional packaging design or material development experience within the food, beverage, or Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industries.
• Proven track record of successful supplier management and negotiation.
• Preferred Direct experience with packaging materials for dry goods (seasonings/mixes) and/or liquid/viscous products (sauces/dressings). Direct experience working within a contract packaging (co-packer) or OEM manufacturing environment. A Bachelor's degree in Packaging Science, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related field.