Senior Packaging Engineer
About The Position
The Senior Packaging Engineer serves as the subject matter expert for evaluating existing and new packaging solutions to ensure they are durable, cost-effective, compliant with regulatory requirements, and aligned with sustainability goals. The role develops and qualifies packaging materials and processes for purchased and manufactured products, including products made on sophisticated automation equipment and complex robotics applications. It also supports product launches, supply chain processes, and, potentially, prototype-line development at manufacturing facilities. The position leads medium-sized teams of fewer than 10 people or projects with budgets or impact below $300,000. It collaborates with internal functions and external suppliers to integrate packaging solutions, resolve problems, improve performance, and support continuous improvement. The role is onsite at Uponor’s North American Manufacturing Headquarters in Apple Valley, Minnesota, and reports to the Senior Manager, Process Development & Design Engineering.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, such as Packaging, Mechanical, Chemical, or Industrial Engineering.
- At least 5 years of experience designing or qualifying packaging in a manufacturing environment.
- Experience with Solidworks and EPDM.
- Experience with complex automation equipment and knowledge of machining and fabrication processes.
- Experience working cross-functionally with Manufacturing and Controls Engineering to integrate solutions and solve complex engineering problems.
Nice To Haves
- 7 years of experience designing or qualifying packaging in a manufacturing environment is preferred.
- Understanding of Lean Manufacturing principles.
Responsibilities
- Provide packaging solutions for existing and new products that are purchased or produced using sophisticated automation equipment and complex robotics applications.
- Enhance existing packaging materials and processes in support of safety, quality, delivery, cost, and continuous improvement priorities.
- Develop new packaging materials and processes to support sustainability, innovation, and business growth.
- Test and analyze packaging materials and select them based on durability, cost, effectiveness, sustainability, product protection, and resistance to external conditions such as corrosive chemicals, temperature variations, light, heat, and rough handling.
- Ensure packaging complies with regulatory requirements and use findings to create packaging requirements for purchased and produced products.
- Collaborate with Marketing, Operations, Quality, and Supply Chain to integrate packaging solutions; apply Lean principles to packaging equipment development and design.
- Lead medium-sized teams of fewer than 10 people or projects with budgets or impact below $300,000 to develop and qualify packaging materials and processes, solve problems, and support continuous improvement.
- Serve as the department’s subject matter expert for product packaging and prioritize daily activities in alignment with functional and business strategy.
- Model Uponor values and behaviors, provide peer leadership, and engage diverse audiences through collaboration and influence.
- Provide input, in conjunction with leadership, on individual performance objectives aligned with functional and business strategy.
- Identify safety issues in packaging processes and collaborate with Safety, Manufacturing Engineering, Controls Engineering, Manufacturing, and Training to address them.
- Determine materials and operations required to produce products by implementing innovative, sustainable packaging solutions that meet safety, quality, cost-effectiveness, and efficiency requirements.
- Define and execute formal testing procedures to evaluate and qualify packaging materials and processes.
- Align packaging objectives with cross-functional teams and integrate packaging solutions into product launches and supply chain processes; potentially support prototype-line development at manufacturing facilities.
- Review, recommend, and implement changes to existing packaging and processes in support of safety, quality, delivery, cost, and continuous improvement.
- Work with external packaging suppliers to modify existing materials and improve their performance in manufacturing processes.
- Potentially work with suppliers of purchased finished goods to improve packaging quality or meet new requirements.
Benefits
- Best-in-class medical, dental, and vision benefits.
- 160 hours of paid time off, combining PTO and Employee Safe and Sick Time accruals for Minnesota-based employees.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
