Senior Designer (Structural Packaging Foods)

PepsiCo•Plano, TX

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

At PepsiCo design, we have a saying: “We’re crazy enough to think we can inspire the future.” This is what drives us, in everything we imagine, develop and execute. Our goal is clear: to connect PepsiCo’s beverage, snacks and food portfolios, with consumers hungry for meaningful, sustainable, authentic and relevant experiences across multiple touch points and regions of the world. Why Design Innovation? Our mission is to drive the sustainability & innovation agendas for PepsiCo’s Global brands and businesses to help it grow and transform beyond its core. We drive innovation by researching, strategizing, defining, prototyping, learning, and launching strategically aligned and commercially viable new products, services, business models, retail experiences, brands and systems. We challenge and seek to change how PepsiCo works to drive true business innovation with more sustainability and purpose. We are a creatively driven team that leverages the power of four lenses (desirability, feasibility, viability, sustainability) led Design Thinking to solve strategic problems to designing new eating experiences, their packaging and delivery systems. We leverage tools from product design, design research, system thinking, strategic foresight, business model design, and circular economy; to solve problems, for people and the planet, in the in the real world. We innovate to incite positive change – for people, brands, business and the world around us. We know what it takes to make ideas a reality and bring that into everything we do. As Senior Designer, Structural Packaging, you will report to a senior design leader. You will also partner closely with Brand Design, R&D, Packaging Engineering, Insights, Marketing, Procurement, Supply Chain, and external agency / supplier partners to develop and deliver structural packaging solutions across PepsiCo's foods portfolio. This role is responsible for contributing to the design and development of structural packaging programs from early concept through commercialization support. You will help translate consumer, brand, business, technical, and sustainability needs into relevant packaging concepts and refined design recommendations. You will work on a range of assignments that may include innovation platforms, packaging restage efforts, productivity-driven redesigns, sustainability-focused initiatives, and experience improvements across primary and secondary packaging systems. You will participate in research and learning activities, synthesize inputs from cross-functional partners, generate packaging concepts, new experiences and prototypes, and support the evaluation of options against desirability, feasibility, viability, and sustainability.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree in Packaging Design, Industrial Design, Product Design, or equivalent relevant experience required.
5+ years of product design, or related design development experience; CPG experience strongly preferred. with a minimum of 2 years in structural packaging design
Demonstrated ability to create strong consumer-facing structural packaging solutions through past work and case studies.
Extraordinary design taste and attention to detail.
Strong ability in sketching, visualization, prototyping, and 3D development.
Extraordinary ability in using the Adobe Creative Suite, Keyshot, Vizcom and Solidworks software.
Working knowledge of packaging materials, engineering constraints, and manufacturing considerations.
Proficiency with relevant design and visualization tools.
Excellent communication, presentation, and collaboration skills.
Proven ability to work in an ambiguous and fast-paced environment and manage multiple priorities.
Must be willing and able to travel up to 10-15% of the time.

Nice To Haves

Self-starting with an entrepreneurial spirit.
Fluent in product design, in prototyping techniques, on emerging design trends, in sustainability and with lifestyle trends.
Able to quickly delivering high levels out quality designs on multiple projects.
Curious, optimistic, and always looking to improve.
Adept at managing ambiguity and energized by complexity.
A creative, systems-minded thinker who can translate insights into tangible packaging solutions.
Empathetic to consumers, customers, and internal stakeholders.
Comfortable working across multiple projects in a dynamic environment.
Good at storytelling, visually and verbally.
Passionate about design quality, sustainability, and bringing ideas to life.
Strong core structural packaging design skills, including concept generation, form development, experience definition, prototyping, and visualization.
Ability to move from insight to idea to tangible packaging solution with clarity and craft.
Understanding of packaging materials, basic manufacturing processes, and the realities of commercial implementation.
A strong point of view on packaging form, functionality, and consumer experience.
Ability to collaborate effectively across functions and incorporate feedback without losing design intent.
Strong storytelling and presentation skills, with the ability to explain design rationale to both design and non-design audiences.
Interest in sustainability and circular design principles as they relate to packaging systems and innovation.
A desire to grow from strong executional capability into broader strategic design leadership over time.

Responsibilities

Develop structural packaging concepts, exploratory directions, and design proposals that visualize the desired experience and support business objectives.
Translate consumer, customer, and brand needs into actionable structural packaging opportunities and design criteria.
Create sketches, mock-ups, prototypes, CAD models, renderings, and presentation materials to communicate ideas clearly and persuasively.
Partner with cross-functional teams to refine design recommendations and support decision making through the development process.
Support packaging programs from concept development through feasibility alignment, design refinement, and handoff to execution partners.
Ensure design intent is carried forward by collaborating with technical teams, suppliers, and production stakeholders throughout development.
Contribute to packaging systems thinking by considering usability, ergonomics, manufacturability, cost, sustainability, and brand expression together.
Help identify whitespace opportunities and elevate the role of structural packaging design in innovation and brand building.
Manage assigned workstreams with quality, rigor, and attention to detail while meeting timelines and project expectations.