Senior Packaging Technologist
About The Position
Reporting to the Director of R&D, this is a hands-on working lead role. The Senior Packaging Technologist is the technical lead of Nature's Touch packaging team and the face of packaging across the organization. You will own and execute a portfolio of packaging projects, lead and develop a team of two, and act as the go-to packaging authority across a multi-plant, global operation. This role drives end-to-end packaging development and optimization across primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging, while supporting NPD, continuous improvement, supplier strategy, and sustainability initiatives. You will operate as a shared resource across R&D and Innovation, partnering closely with Procurement, Operations, Supply Chain, Regulatory Affairs, and Sustainability.
Requirements
- 6-12 years of experience in packaging development or engineering within food, beverage, or CPG manufacturing
- Strong expertise in flexible film packaging (VFFS/HFFS, rollstock, stand-up pouches, reclosable zippers, laminates, co-ex structures, sealing technologies)
- Experience with secondary and tertiary packaging, including corrugated specs, palletization, and logistics optimization
- Experience working across multi-plant environments and cross-functional teams
- Strong knowledge of EPR programs and sustainable packaging principles
- Proficiency with key tools: TOPS, TraceGains, Monday.com
- Advanced Excel
- AI tools for technical research, documentation, and workflow acceleration
- Bilingual in English and French
Nice To Haves
- Experience in frozen or temperature-sensitive products (OTR/MVTR, cold-chain)
- Exposure to pack-at-source or international programs
Responsibilities
- Act as the company-wide packaging subject matter expert across R&D, Innovation, Regulatory, Sustainability, Procurement, and Operations
- Serve as the bridge between strategy and execution, particularly for sustainability and cost-impacting decisions
- Partner with Regulatory and Sustainability on compliance, material data, and circularity assessments
- Collaborate with Procurement to anticipate risks, share supplier insights, and align on performance and cost outcomes
- Lead and develop a team of two while managing your own project portfolio
- Represent packaging in stage gates, RFPs, supplier reviews, and key decision forums
- Leverage AI tools to document and communicate technical decisions
- Lead flexible film packaging development for a frozen fruit portfolio (VFFS pouches, rollstock, reclosable formats)
- Own film specifications (laminate, co-ex, mono structures; seal parameters; COF; OTR/MVTR; gauge; print requirements)
- Execute qualification protocols and plant trials, validating seal integrity, machinability, and barrier performance
- Own corrugated and carton specifications (board grade, flute, ECT, dimensions, print standards)
- Optimize palletization and container loading to maximize utilization and meet customer requirements
- Ensure packaging changes maintain or improve logistics efficiency (truckload, container utilization)
- Integrate and quantify EPR cost impact into packaging decisions
- Apply Packaging Design Golden Rules, ensuring recyclability, material reduction, and circularity
- Evaluate materials and structures against circularity criteria and document decisions
- Lead circularity-driven CI initiatives in partnership with Sustainability
- Support sustainability reporting and retailer requirements with technical data
- Stay current on evolving standards and packaging guidelines
- Own technical supplier relationships across all packaging categories
- Lead supplier qualification, performance validation, and evaluation
- Identify and onboard suppliers aligned with innovation, sustainability, and resilience goals
- Partner with Procurement on supplier selection and strategic decisions
- Partner with Innovation and Product Development to deliver packaging solutions from concept to commercialization
- Lead packaging through stage gates, ensuring alignment with customer, regulatory, and operational requirements
- Support pack-at-source and international programs
- Contribute to customer RFPs with design, costing, and feasibility input
- Drive multi-plant CI initiatives (waste reduction, yield, efficiency, standardization)
- Own root cause analysis and corrective actions for packaging-related issues
- Manage technical review thresholds for maintenance projects
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
Education Level
No Education Listed
