Packaging Development Americas Sr Manager

Barilla•Northbrook, IL

22h•Hybrid

About The Position

To lead the development and implementation of Region Americas packaging (cross-categories), delivering the best packaging experience to our consumers, while achieving the optimal balance among superior quality, environmental responsibility, and operational efficiency inside the perimeter of competence. This is a hybrid role based out of Northbrook, IL.

Requirements

Minimum of 7 year in packaging within FMCG brand owners
Bachelor’s degree in: Food/Packaging Science-technology, Engineering, Chemistry, Industrial Chemistry or related fields
Experience with the use of AutoCAD or drawing software.
Communication, negotiation, assertiveness, international team player, planning results oriented.
Essential skills: analytical, communication, negotiation, strategic thinker, team builder

Responsibilities

Lead, mentor, motivate and direct his/her two reports fostering a collaborative and result-driven work environment.
Define and lead the Americas packaging development strategies building the necessary technical and managerial know-how, optimizing workplace productivity, and promoting professional growth.
Set clear objectives, delegate tasks while providing the needed managerial and technical support and regular feedback.
Ensure effective communication and coordination within packaging team and other relevant departments, working in close collaboration with other leaders.
Lead the development and industrialization of new packaging solutions (Consumer, Trade and Handling Units), based on existing and/or available technologies, for the Region Americas Masterplan projects, starting from consumers and customers’ needs understanding and applying a Shopper/ Consumer/ Customer’s Design driven approach.
Guarantee that the developed packaging solutions ensure recipe’s protection all along the product’s shelf life, while matching logistic and distribution channels key requirements both for primary (shelf) and secondary (out of shelf) placement, enhancing packaging sustainability.
Work in close partnership with project leaders and the heads of other relevant departments to ensure the projects are delivered according to the expected quality and industrial standards and in line with the defined costs and timing.
Influence the Region Americas in the implementation of the ESG strategy, ensuring long term goals achievement, always guaranteeing superior quality experience for our consumers and full alignment with the future business needs of the category.
Define the strategy both to significantly improve the consumer experience and to give actual value to the business.
Define the strategy to make Region Americas packaging system more competitive, while ensuring to deliver to our consumers the best packaging experience.
Partner with Purchasing and QFS directors in order to co-design an effective packaging purchasing strategy aiming to protect the Region Americas against business interruption and quality incidents risks.
Set clear guidelines for the managed team and to design the needed processes in order to guarantee efficient and effective management of the Packaging technical specs, artworks and Packaging process standards.
Manage the Region Americas packaging specs system. Focus on properly agreeing with the involved suppliers all the technical aspects and perfectly communicate with internal stakeholders, according to the Company’s procedure and systems.
Lead the artwork process for the technical and graphical packaging part, according to the Company’s procedure and system, in strong collaboration with internal stakeholders and leading external providers stakeholders for a perfect graphical execution.
Define the relevant process parameters for the existing and new packaging operations within the assigned projects.