Senior Packaging Engineer - Contractor
Job Location: Plano, TX
Job Summary

Food and Beverage Foods is seeking an experienced Senior Packaging Engineer to provide technical packaging expertise and lead the development, qualification, and commercialisation of innovative packaging solutions. This role will focus on improving productivity, protecting product quality, optimising packaging performance, and reducing overall system costs.

The ideal candidate will have strong expertise in corrugated packaging, packaging development, material selection, structural design, and packaging performance testing. The individual will collaborate with cross-functional teams, manufacturing facilities, co-packers, suppliers, and converters to deliver packaging solutions from initial concept through commercialisation

Key Responsibilities : 

• Lead the design, development, testing, qualification, and commercialisation of primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging solutions.

• Provide technical leadership in corrugated packaging, including board grades, flute profiles, box styles, converting processes, printing options, compression performance, and distribution requirements.

• Develop packaging specifications based on product requirements, operational needs, and distribution conditions.

• Create packaging development plans and testing strategies to evaluate product protection, shelf life, machinability, palletization, warehousing, and transportation performance.

• Develop, review, approve, and maintain packaging specifications, technical drawings, testing requirements, and documentation.

• Manage project timelines, budgets, technical risks, and deliverables while coordinating with Packaging R&D, Product Development, Marketing, Sales, Operations, Procurement, and Finance.

• Collaborate with manufacturing plants, co-packers, equipment teams, suppliers, and converters to troubleshoot packaging issues and support production trials.

• Identify opportunities to optimize packaging materials, reduce costs, improve productivity, and enhance overall packaging performance without compromising product quality.

• Research emerging packaging technologies, materials, and supplier capabilities to identify opportunities for innovation.

• Follow established technical stage-gate processes, maintain project documentation, and communicate project progress and potential risks to stakeholders.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Packaging Science, Packaging Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Plastics Engineering, or a related technical field.

• 4–10 years of relevant packaging engineering or packaging development experience within the food, beverage, consumer packaged goods (Client), or related industries.

• Hands-on experience developing and commercializing primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging materials.

• Strong technical knowledge of corrugated packaging, including material selection, structural design, board grades, flute profiles, specifications, supplier capabilities, and distribution testing.

• Experience with packaging and equipment interactions, manufacturing processes, and packaging performance requirements.

• Proven experience planning and executing laboratory, plant, co-packer, or supplier trials.

• Strong project management skills, including managing timelines, budgets, technical risks, and cross-functional activities.

• Excellent analytical, troubleshooting, communication, and presentation skills.

• Ability to work independently, manage multiple projects, and collaborate effectively with internal and external stakeholders.

• Willingness to travel domestically approximately 15–25%.

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Experience leading packaging innovation projects from initial feasibility through commercialisation.

• Knowledge of corrugated packaging optimization, case right-sizing, pallet pattern optimization, and unit-load performance.

• Experience with e-commerce packaging, alternative distribution channels, and total delivered-cost optimization.

• Familiarity with corrugated packaging and distribution testing methods, including compression, vibration, impact/drop, and environmental conditioning.

• Experience supporting packaging productivity, sustainability, quality improvement, and supplier qualification initiatives.

• Proficiency in packaging specifications, technical drawings, data analysis, and project management tools.
  
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