Advanced Packaging & Prototyping Director

Sartori Cheese Brand•Plymouth, WI

17h•Onsite

About The Position

The Advanced Prototyping & Packaging Director leads the strategy, development, and execution of innovative packaging and prototyping solutions to support the company’s growth objectives. This role partners closely with Engineering, Operations, Finance, Quality, and Product Development to commercialize new concepts, optimize packaging performance, drive productivity improvements, innovate on new platforms, and ensure that all solutions meet cheese manufacturing requirements. The ideal candidate has 5–10 years of experience leading high-performing technical teams in food production, strong packaging and prototyping expertise, hands-on experience supporting pilot and plant trials, and a demonstrated ability to bring new ideas from concept through commercialization.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Packaging Engineering, Food Science, Mechanical Engineering, Material Science, or related field required; Master’s degree preferred.
5–10 years of experience in packaging development, prototyping, or technical leadership in food manufacturing required.
Experience conducting pilot and plant trials and commercializing new solutions required.
Expertise in packaging materials, equipment compatibility, and performance testing required.
Alignment with Company Values : Demonstrates behaviors and values that reflect the company’s culture. Sartori’s core values are family, commitment, authenticity, ingenuity, integrity, and humility
Communication & Influence: Strong communication and cross-functional leadership skills.
Project and portfolio management : Ability to prioritize multiple initiatives.
Analytical: Statistical experiment design, data analysis, and coaching others on data collection.
Organizational and Time Management Skills - Ability to manage and navigate priorities while meeting deadlines, anticipating needs, and proactively resolving issues
Coaching – Exceptional leadership and people management skills.
Resilience – remains composed and effective under pressure, maintaining focus and productivity in evolving environments; recovers quickly from setbacks and persists in the face of challenges.
A valid driver’s license is required.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree preferred.

Responsibilities

Leads, mentors, and develops a multidisciplinary team responsible for packaging innovation and prototyping.
Builds team capability in experimental design, packaging engineering, material science, and prototyping methods.
Fosters a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Leads creation of new packaging platforms and prototype product forms.
Collaborates with R&D, Technical Applications Group (TAG), and Operations to translate concepts into scalable manufacturing processes.
Guides material selection, package form development, shelf-life assessments, and trial execution.
Oversees packaging development including material evaluation, structural design, and packaging specifications.
Partners with Engineering and Operations to run pilot and full-scale trials.
Supports productivity initiatives by identifying and implementing cost-saving packaging improvements.
Works closely with Operations, Engineering, Finance, Procurement, Quality, and R&D teams.
Communicates technical progress, risks, and recommendations to key stakeholders.
Ensures alignment with broader R&D organizational structure and innovation goals.
Ensures all packaging and prototyping activities meet food safety and quality standards.
Maintains documentation including specifications, reports, drawings, and commercialization documents.
Supports audits, corrective actions, and root cause investigations.
Leads and prioritizes multiple packaging and prototyping projects.
Provides financial justification and oversees budgets for prototyping activities.
Supports innovation pipelines, business cases, and long-range planning processes.