Lead Packaging Engineer

Shippers Supply, Inc.•Golden Valley, MN

2d•$105,000 - $135,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Lead Packaging Engineer is the senior technical and supervisory role in Shippers Supply’s growing custom packaging division. The role owns custom packaging projects from the initial customer conversation through production release, including design, specifications, costing, bills of materials and ERP setup, sourcing, prototyping, and production hand-off. The work is hands-on, involving prototype cutting on a Kongsberg digital cutting table and support for first production runs. The Lead Packaging Engineer leads and supervises the engineering team by assigning and reviewing work, training and mentoring team members, conducting performance reviews, and making hiring and pay recommendations. The role establishes technical standards, reviews and approves design work, and contributes to the division’s direction. It reports to the Director of Custom Packaging. The position splits time between the office, production floor, and customer sites. It is based in Golden Valley, Minnesota. The stated annual pay range is $105,000–$135,000, with starting pay generally near the beginning of the range and increases based on performance and tenure.

Requirements

7+ years of hands-on custom packaging design experience across foam, corrugated, and wood crating.
Proficiency in SolidWorks and ArtiosCAD.
Experience with product costing, BOM and routing setup in an ERP, and revision control.
3+ years of direct people management, including hiring, performance reviews, and coaching designers or engineers.
3+ years of sourcing and vendor management, including quote evaluation and make-versus-buy analysis.
3+ years managing multiple concurrent projects with competing deadlines.
Strong materials knowledge, including foam types and densities, corrugated grades and flute profiles, and crate construction.
Experience presenting designs, costs, and trade-offs to customers.
Advanced Excel skills.
Bachelor’s degree in packaging, mechanical, or manufacturing engineering, industrial design, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation.
Ability to bend, reach, and occasionally lift up to 50 lbs.
Must complete required background checks and drug tests.

Nice To Haves

Hands-on experience operating a digital cutting table; Kongsberg preferred.
Familiarity with ISTA and ASTM D4169 testing standards.
Experience with ISO 9001 quality systems.
Background in custom or build-to-order manufacturing.

Responsibilities

Design protective and transit packaging using fabricated foam, corrugated materials, wood crates and skids, and hybrid constructions; create complete, production-ready drawing packages using SolidWorks and ArtiosCAD.
Produce samples and prototypes on a Kongsberg digital cutting table, conduct drop, vibration, and compression testing, identify failure modes, and refine designs.
Develop cost estimates and establish part numbers, bills of materials, and routings in the ERP system; maintain revision control for CAD files, drawings, and specifications.
Lead and supervise the packaging engineering team by assigning and reviewing work, training and mentoring, conducting performance reviews, and making hiring and pay recommendations.
Review and approve all design work before release and establish the technical standards used by the team.
Join Sales for customer meetings and site visits; present design options, costs, and trade-offs; and conduct packaging assessments to reduce customer costs and damage rates.
Manage schedules and priorities across the custom team and coordinate hand-offs with Sales, Customer Service, Purchasing, and Production.
Work with Purchasing to qualify vendors, evaluate quotes, and assess make-versus-buy decisions.
Document the division’s workflows, standards, and templates, and support the ISO 9001:2015 quality system.
Support first production runs and hand off projects to production.