Director, Packaging Engineering

Smithfield Foods•Smithfield, VA

6d•Onsite

About The Position

Shape the future of packaging innovation at Smithfield Foods, where a wide array of materials and processes drive industry-leading solutions. As the Director of Package Engineering, you will lead a team of subject matter experts, ensuring successful project execution and impactful results. Your leadership will be instrumental in identifying, developing, and commercializing new, improved, and cost-efficient packaging solutions that enhance product performance and sustainability. In addition to driving innovation, your team will collaborate on cross-functional projects, supporting key business platforms, new product development, cost-saving initiatives, and core business strategies. This role offers an exciting opportunity to influence packaging excellence, optimize efficiency, and contribute to Smithfield’s commitment to quality and innovation.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited four-year college or university and 10+ years of relevant experience; or equivalent combination of education and experience, required.
5+ years of demonstrated experience in team management/development is required.
Ability to demonstrate proven results with fundamental packaging knowledge, plant testing, and project management.
Experience with “complex packaging strategies” such as lean manufacturing, corporate purchasing agreements, and strategic sourcing.
Progressive experience utilizing packaging software, specification databases and SAP.
Extensive knowledge of packaging lab testing and techniques.
Excellent PC skills: MS Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).
Strong communication skills, verbal and written.
Strong project management skills in support of cross functional team activities.
Ability to work well with others in fast paced, dynamic environment.
Ability to be respectful, approachable and team oriented while building strong working relationships and a positive work environment.
Must be willing to travel a minimum of 50%.

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated ability to lead large-scale process improvement initiatives that deliver measurable gains in efficiency, cost, quality, and service across multiple plants, lines, or product categories.
Proven success translating customer and consumer insights into scalable packaging solutions that enhance product protection, performance, and overall user experience.
Strong ability to lead across FSQA, Operations, Supply Chain, Procurement, and Commercial teams—aligning priorities and driving decisions that balance quality, cost, and operational performance.
Experience developing and leveraging supplier and equipment vendor partnerships to enable innovation, enhance capabilities, and accelerate speed-to-market.
Expertise in establishing packaging standards, driving SKU and specification simplification, and enabling automation to improve scalability and operational consistency.
Track record of advancing packaging systems, tools, and processes to drive step-change improvements in cost, quality, and speed.
Deep knowledge of resin and fiber-based systems, with the ability to guide material selection based on performance, cost, manufacturability, and sustainability considerations.
Strong understanding of packaging equipment and processes (e.g., rollstock, rotary, shrink, case packaging, palletization), with the ability to design solutions that perform reliably at scale across diverse operating environments.
Proven ability to improve line performance and throughput by aligning packaging design with operational capabilities, with a strong understanding of system-level OEE drivers.
Experience leading packaging strategies that proactively address sustainability goals (including EPR considerations) and regulatory requirements, particularly for food safety and direct-contact applications.
Ability to connect packaging decisions to P&L impact, optimizing for total value creation across material cost, labor, efficiency, logistics, and waste.
Skilled at translating complex technical trade-offs into clear, business-focused insights that enable alignment and decision-making at all levels of the organization.
Leverages data and digital tools to quantify opportunities and simplify complexity, while successfully leading organizational change and driving adoption of new packaging solutions and processes.

Responsibilities

Lead packaging engineering initiatives to drive savings through waste reduction, material optimization, and innovative solutions while managing a high-performing team to achieve strategic objectives.
Stay ahead of market trends, shaping long-term strategic plans for Smithfield’s products, and actively champion packaging expertise across the organization to foster collaboration and advancement.
Oversee all aspects of packaging engineering related to new product development, collaborating with R&D Managers, Business Managers, and Process Engineering Managers to design efficient packaging solutions within tight deadlines.
Provide ongoing support for packaging on existing products, leveraging your knowledge of Smithfield plants and processes to educate cross-functional teams and lead impactful projects.
Research new technologies, drive their implementation when beneficial, and use your expertise to support and identify future capital investments in packaging.
Lead packaging projects from concept to implementation, ensuring alignment with Smithfield’s business requirements while effectively managing incoming requests from both business and plant operations.
Navigate complex, multi-stream projects by fostering cross-functional relationships and alliances, driving collaboration, and delivering innovative solutions across departments.
Successfully navigate Smithfield’s operating systems, software, and procedures while developing a deep understanding of the company’s corporate structure, products, and processes.
Apply expertise in packaging dielines and their technical relationship to equipment, independently conducting plant trials at manufacturing locations.
Effectively communicate packaging information across all levels of the organization, identify innovative solutions with financial feasibility in mind, and proactively anticipate and resolve potential roadblocks based on project experience.
Drive a positive employee experience through leadership by way of employee development and coaching.
Provide clear direction, performance feedback, and ongoing coaching to direct reports to drive accountability and professional growth.
Establish individual and team objectives aligned with business strategy and ensure consistent execution against goals.
Conduct performance evaluations, development planning, and succession planning to strengthen organizational capability.
Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement, ensuring strong engagement across the team.
Lead organizational efforts to attract, develop, and retain top talent, while building future leadership capability within the function.
Ensure effective resource planning and prioritization across projects, balancing workload, capability, and business needs.
Promote alignment and partnership across cross-functional teams by setting expectations for ownership, communication, and results delivery.