Principal Scientist, R&D - Packaging Dev

Principal Scientist, R&D – Packaging Dev 

Job Overview: 

This position offers an excellent opportunity to identify, drive, commercialize, and lead growth and innovation in packaging technology within the MCCS (Meat/Cheese/Coffee/Snacking) platform, with a specific focus on Lunchables and Adult Snacking. The role serves as the Packaging point of contact, working directly with Core, Innovation, and Club Mkt, and is instrumental in delivering novel, competitive, and cost-advantaged solutions. 

Responsibilities include identifying research pathways, demonstrating proof of concept, scaling up technology, and supporting commercialization. The ideal candidate brings strong technical skills and the ability to connect technologies to real-world applications, along with intellectual curiosity, problem-solving ability, leadership, the confidence to champion ideas, and solid project management skills. A collaborative mindset and a commitment to applying innovative solutions are essential. 

Job Duties: 

• Work with internal teams and cross-functional partners to understand portfolio and strategy opportunities and build solid plans with defined timing and deliverables. 

• Identify and quantify growth spaces (e.g., new usage occasions, formats, channel needs like Club). 

• Build business cases for innovation bets (value creation, cost, risk, timing, resource asks) and present to leadership. 

• Translate consumer insights into packaging design requirements (ease-of-use, freshness perception, portability, convenience). 

• Lead end-to-end packaging commercialization on key platform projects - owning scale-up trials, qualification/validation, launch execution, and post-launch stabilization -  to deliver high-quality packaging to on time and at target cost. 

• Partner with Brand/Insights to define and interpret packaging-focused consumer tests (what to test, success criteria). 

• Ability to ideate novel ideas for new product solutions.   

• Lead multiple/large initiatives with complex scopes and/or cross enterprise platforms concurrently. 

• Act as technical/commercialization expert for junior developers and flex onto projects requiring problem solving. 

• Execute research plans, including patent/literature reviews, tech documentation, prototyping, lab testing, consumer testing, qualification on pilot and/or production equipment, provide solutions to hurdles and provide next steps, with updates to leadership. 

• Strong data analysis experience (understanding and processing of complex data systems). 

• Build and coordinate relationships with suppliers, technology, and industry partners to drive technology pathways. 

• Translate research findings into meaningful recommendations, communicating results and driving decisions and technology adoption. 

• Lead and drive functional training and process improvements for the pkg organization. 

• Have a high degree of autonomy. 

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s in Packaging, Mechanical, Materials, Chemical Engineering or related degree plus minimum 7 years of relevant experience, or master’s degree plus minimum 6 years of relevant experience, or PhD degree plus 5 years of relevant experience. 

• Expert understanding of packaging materials, their barrier properties, functionality, standard test methods, qualification and commercialization of multiple packaging formats, design of experiments and ability to coach others in these areas. 

• Excellent, proven communication (presentations to global teams, senior leadership, cross functional collaboration), influencing, project/platform management and problem-solving skills. 

• Strong ability to lead, coach and motivate others. 

• Understanding or risks as well as ability to provide multiple solutions to business as options for path forward.  

• Manage multiple assignments/tasks concurrently with the ability to prioritize work for self and others. 

• Influence across packaging value chain externally. 

• Willingness to travel 30%