About the job
The Packaging Engineer leads scale-up, validation, and commercialization of packaging innovation, renovation, productivity, sustainability, and business-continuity projects across Danone North America. Working within Processing Excellence & Scale-Up, the role integrates package design, materials, product-process conditions, equipment, quality, and supply-chain needs to deliver robust, first-time-right manufacturing solutions.
Key Responsibilities
Packaging Scale-Up, Validation & Commercialization
- Co-lead primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging scale-up from concept through validation, first production, and launch stabilization.
- Support innovation, renovation, productivity, sustainability, capacity, and business-continuity projects across food and beverage platforms.
- Translate consumer, product, quality, sustainability, cost, and manufacturing needs into clear success criteria, validation plans, specifications, and recommendations.
Technical Risk Assessment, Trial Design & Readiness
- Identify packaging and material-machine risks early through structured assessments, design reviews, equipment capability, prior learning, and supplier/OEM input.
- Design and execute lab, pilot, supplier, and plant tests with clear hypotheses, sampling, acceptance criteria, and decision gates.
- Co-own trial and first-production readiness, including scope, materials, tooling, line changes, measurements, resources, documentation, and contingencies.
- Analyze trial data and lead root-cause troubleshooting of material, equipment, operating-window, quality, and distribution issues.
Manufacturing Capability & Material-Machine Interaction
- Assess manufacturability across equipment, lines, sites, and co-manufacturers, including geometry, tolerances, controls, and capability.
- Partner with Operations, Engineering, Quality, suppliers, toolmakers, and OEMs to define technical limits, operating windows, and solutions before design lock or capital commitment.
Packaging Scalability Strategy & Capability Building
- Execute the R&I packaging scalability roadmap with Product & Package Scale-Up leadership and the Packaging organization.
- Build reusable scale-up methods, standards, templates, and lessons learned that improve first-time-right commercialization.
- Advance early prediction of industrial performance through lab methods, pilot tools, simulation, digital modeling, and virtual twins.
Specifications, Governance & Technical Documentation
- Maintain specifications, drawings, test methods, trial protocols, validation reports, and manufacturing recommendations.
- Ensure stage-gate evidence is complete and traceable, with clear ownership of risks, criteria, deviations, and actions.
- Partner with Quality, Regulatory, Procurement, Supply Chain, and Operations to meet safety, quality, regulatory, sustainability, and internal requirements.
Cross-Functional & External Partnerships
- Build effective partnerships across R&I, Operations, Engineering, Quality, Procurement, Supply Chain, suppliers, OEMs, and co-manufacturers.
- Co-lead multiple projects autonomously, prioritize by technical risk and business impact, and clearly communicate trade-offs and recommendations.
Physical Demands & Work Environment
- Work across office, lab, pilot plant, supplier, and manufacturing settings; use required PPE and travel 20-40% for trials, qualifications, troubleshooting, and launches.
The salary range for this position is $82,000-118,000 USD. The exact salary offered will depend on several factors, including the candidate's relevant experience, geographic location, internal equity, and market conditions. Danone North America additionally offers a performance-based bonus and has a strong benefits package including Medical, Dental, Vision, Prescription Drug Coverage, 401k Plan, Wellness Program, Life Insurance, Tuition Reimbursement, Flexible Time Off, and Paid Parental Bonding Leave, among other benefit plan options. To give our employees flexibility, Danone is a hybrid work environment.
This role is considered a "hybrid" position that allows for flexible work, meaning it is a role where collaboration with key stakeholders in Danone Hubs occurs. While you may have the option to work from home on a schedule as agreed to with your supervisor, you are also expected to regularly report to your assigned office location at least 3 days per week.