Sr. Packaging Development Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Add Flavor to Your Career – Explore New Opportunities at Lee Kum Kee!

Ready to bring fresh energy to your career? At Lee Kum Kee, we’re committed to your growth, offering a place where creativity and innovation thrive. If you're eager to make an impact and advance your career, apply today and start adding flavor to your professional life!

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Founded in 1888, Lee Kum Kee, a Hong Kong-based global food company, specializes in creating condiments and sauces that promote Chinese cuisine worldwide. With more than 300 products to choose from, Lee Kum Kee takes the mystery out of cooking authentic and delicious Asian foods in the comfort of your kitchen. Lee Kum Kee is committed to providing authentic and innovative condiments and sauces featuring the highest quality ingredients. Armed with a unique management culture, stringent quality control, superb and innovative products, coupled with the century long brand reputation, Lee Kum Kee has achieved unanimous recognition and won numerous prestigious awards.

Lee Kum Kee (USA) Inc., a division of Lee Kum Kee International Holdings Ltd., has its headquarters and manufacturing facilities in City of Industry, CA with more than 500 employees (Americas Zone). We are looking for the best and brightest talents to join our company and work together to bring the next level of success!

BENEFITS 

• Medical, Dental, and Life Insurance coverage   
• 401(k) Retirement Plan through Principal
• Two (2) Weeks Vacation
• Ten (10) Paid Holidays
• Five (5) Sick Days
• …And More!

POSITION SUMMARY

This position leads AMS zone’s direct food contact, secondary & tertiary package innovation initiatives under circular ecosystem principles. Must be able to drive innovation; leads package development team in west coast and east coast facilities and develops team talents with a strong sense of ownership and leadership. Searches for new applicable technologies both within and outside food industry to continuously evaluate best practice and support product innovation, company’s sustainability and extended producer responsibility goal. It also provides technical inputs and support to other functions as needed. This position is in a fast-paced environment of changing priorities, multiple projects, and short deadlines. 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Lead and manage package development team in food direct contact package, secondary & tertiary package development for America zone markets and other applicable markets. Lead and execute Zone’s package development strategies aligned with global package strategies; Keep abreast of the latest package technology development and be able to maximize their application in products; partner with internal functions within supply chains, sales, marketing, and project management teams, managing new package capability development, value improvement initiatives, and supply chain sustainability. Manage annual budgets, and KPI for package development team.
• Maintain close linkage and networking with global packaging community for global package initiatives and competence development as well as specific package projects cross zones based on capability.
• Close partnership with the west coast and east coast plant multi-function teams, and project team to scale up new pack types and pack formats for production and relocate packages across facilities.
• Lead package development process in accordance with company guide/requirements that best suit for zone applications; propose ideation and realization (I&R) package solutions and deliver the working quality that fulfill the business objectives and expectation from internal/external stakeholders.
• Provide in depth technical expertise in designing and defining package and packaging specifications, including test methods; package/machine capability studies and their impact on package performance and specifications. Approve design of concept/experiment/test methodologies/technical specifications on zone package materials. 
• Engage with government agencies, trade associations, vendors, package development groups, and testing services to develop and manufacture components which meet the company's business strategies for growth, sustainability, value, performance, and reliability if needed.
• Be able to travel domestically and internationally when required. Before east coast facility is fully operative (2026 – 2029), more frequent travelling between west coast facility and east coast facility is expected than usual per project scope requirement.
• Be able to provide opportunities to utilize and develop the team talents.
• Projects may be assigned as determine by the leaders based on skill and strategic intent.

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Bachelor's degree from four-year college or university in packaging engineering, food engineering, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, polymer/materials engineering, or related science field required.
• A minimum of 10 years related packaging development in CPG industry and 7 years of being a mid-senior manager in the related field with solid hands-on management and supervisory skill and experience.
• Business and commercial awareness; ability to influence other business members; excellent communication, interpersonal skills, and teamwork.
• Prefer Packaging Professional Certification (CPP). Advanced knowledge and hands-on experience in wide range of package materials, such as polymers, glass, metal, flexible, paperboard & corrugated packaging material, and manufacturing process; printing and decoration technologies to enhance brand equity and shelf appeal of package; conversion technologies like injection molding, thermoforming and blow molding. Technical knowledge of packaging equipment and process equipment, such as, form-fill-seal, shrink tunnel, labeler, case packer, conveying system etc. 
• Prefer training and experience in Lean and Six Sigma, or equivalent.
• Advanced knowledge of food product/package development flow from ideation to product launch in a consumer goods environment. Strong knowledge of food processing and a strong working knowledge of product/package needs and interactions.
• Highly creative individual with proven ability to create new-to-the-world packages and packaging concepts. Ability to bring together diverse technologies and concepts to create new to the world package innovation.
• Ability to work with brand and consumer research to understand unmet consumer needs, lead package development team, and translate those into successful packaging innovations.
• Good knowledge of government agencies pertaining to the food industry. Knowledge of food safety regulations is preferred (FSMA, FDA, USDA, CFR (Code of Federal Regulation, Canadian Food Inspection regulation, FTC).
• Strong problem-solving skills using statistics and modeling methodology.
• Good computer skills including Microsoft Office suite (Project, PowerPoint, Excel, Word) and CAD software.

It is Lee Kum Kee’s policy to seek and employ the most qualified persons in all jobs in a manner which will ensure equal employment opportunity as well as administer personnel actions in a manner as to not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability or protected veteran status. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.