Packaging Engineer

Kevin's Natural Foods•Stockton, CA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

As our Packaging Engineer at Kevin’s Natural Foods, you’ll help create packaging that protects our food quality, minimizes our impact on the planet, excites our consumers, and supports smart, sustainable growth. You’ll collaborate with teams across the business to make sure every package is built for quality, efficiency, and success.

Requirements

2–5+ years of experience in Packaging Engineering or Packaging Development.
Bachelor’s Degree in Packaging, Engineering, Materials Science, or a related technical field.
Working knowledge of packaging materials (films, laminations, plastics, corrugate, etc.) and how they interact with manufacturing equipment and food processing environments.
Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, stay organized, and move work forward in a fast‑paced setting.
A passion for the clean-eating/better-for-you space.
Working knowledge of food safety and quality requirements as they relate to packaging (FDA, USDA, SQF, HACCP, GMP’s, etc.).
Strong documentation and change-management skills, including specs, SOPs, and version control as the business scales.
Strong understanding of how packaging decisions impact COGS, freight, sustainability goals, and operational efficiency.
Hands‑on curiosity: you enjoy testing, experimenting, learning, and solving problems.

Nice To Haves

Willingness to travel up to 20–30% for supplier visits, trials, and plant support.

Responsibilities

Develop, test, and commercialize primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging solutions that support new product launches, quality improvements, and value‑engineering initiatives.
Build packaging specifications, drawings, and Bill of Materials (BOMs), ensuring accuracy and manufacturing feasibility.
Apply knowledge of materials such as film structures, pouches, trays, corrugate, and other food‑grade packaging formats relevant to refrigerated, frozen, and shelf‑stable applications.
Partner closely with R&D, Operations, Procurement, Food Safety & Quality, Marketing, and external suppliers to bring packaging concepts from idea through commercialization.
Proactively identify and test emerging materials that align with our mission to reduce our environmental footprint while maintaining food safety.
Design and execute test plans using sound experimental methods to assess material performance, distribution durability, seal integrity, shelf life, and compatibility with processing equipment.
Support packaging readiness during plant trials, production start‑ups, and ongoing operational needs.
Troubleshoot packaging failures or process challenges, recommend solutions, and document learnings to enable continuous improvement.
Evaluate cost‑savings and sustainability opportunities without compromising product safety or consumer experience.
Stay curious and informed about industry trends, new materials, and emerging technologies relevant to food packaging.
Build strong relationships with packaging suppliers to identify and assess new capabilities.
Collaborate with our Global Mars Food and Nutrition colleagues on enterprise packaging initiatives and research.
Other duties as assigned and necessary.