Sr Engineer Packaging

The Hershey Company•Hershey, PA

36d

About The Position

Working independently, the position leads the design and technical development of packaging solutions for new and existing products. This position is responsible for the development of packaging materials by working with Project Teams and Vendors to recommend, review, test and identify costs for various packaging design proposals. The position is responsible for creating detailed documentation of specifications and accurate bill of materials for successful packaging commercialization. The position supports production facilities by assisting in issues resolution and optimizing packaging design to ensure peak performance. The position will proactively identify and drive opportunities to improve packaging performance, cost, and sustainability. The position is expected to manage a mix of low-to-high complexity commercial projects which require advanced packaging materials and automation technology expertise. As a representative on project and program teams, the position is expected with a broad-based perspective to advocate the best interests of packaging and the overall initiative via sharing of technical knowledge and experience, gathering and presenting fact-based data, providing robust analytics, and implementing effective and impactful solutions which deliver against project scope and expectations.

Requirements

Possess strong working knowledge of and experience with advanced packaging concepts and principles.
Strong technical and application knowledge of commercial packaging materials and converting technologies
Possess strong mechanical aptitude and ability to understand interrelation of material, equipment & process
Ability to design transport simulation tests and interpret results and articulate appropriate next steps.
Strong critical thinking skills to consider how constraints/changes impact design and functional attributes
Proven problem solving skills that successfully identify and define root cause and provide effective solutions.
Proven ability to make rational decisions independently for complex and/or urgent matters
Proven ability to comprehend and embrace a strategy/strategic initiative, cleary communicate and advocate it to others, and successfully execute design and process development in support of it.
Proven ability to successfully and clearly articulate complex subject matter both verbally and in written form to audiences of varying organizational levels and technical/business understanding.
Strong understanding of supply chain operations and cross-functional partner responsibilities, knowing how to leverage their expertise, and collaborating to drive impactful outcomes
Proven ablility to work collaboratively and constructively with others to accomplish a common objective.
Self-motivated and takes initiative/action independently; recognizes need for urgency & proactive response to meet business need
Proven ability to successfully and consistently prioritize and manage a large volume of projects simultaneously.
Ability to recognize and understand broad perspective interrelations, strategy, and opportunities
Strong organizational, time management, and communication skills to meet commitments consistently
Strong PC skills; Outlook, Excel, Powerpoint, Cape/Tops, MS Teams, SAP
BS in Packaging Engineering preferred; BS in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering or related science field; 5-7 years of Packaging Development experience.
MS in Packaging Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering or related science field; 4-5 years of Packaging Development experience.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with project and program initiator to define, understand, and align to project objectives and expectations.
Design, review, recommend, and test various packaging design proposals.
Consider various packaging material substrates and structures in the design of primary, secondary and tertiary packaging to minimize material usage and optimize manufacturing and labor efficiencies, while maintaining product integrity and enhancing retail performance and aesthetics.
Determine impact of new packaging design on existing and new automation systems at manufacturing locations and lead efforts to identify solutions and resolve issues.
Develop design-of-experiments/test methodologies on packaging materials and structures to determine performance attributes best suited to maintain product quality, integrity, and maximize shelf-life while minimizing costs.
Conduct analytical testing on materials and structures; evaluate and interpret technical data findings and clearly communicate results and recommendations to stakeholders.
Coordinate, define success criteria, and lead equipment trials, line trials, distribution tests, etc. to validate new packaging materials and structural designs
Implement effective structural and process design solutions which foster and align to business strategy and strategic initiatives.
Recommend best design, influence and align with stakeholders, and execute optimized packaging design solution supported by a robust business case analysis
Drive project and program success through clear written and verbal correspondence and presentation of complex matters that is understandable by stakeholders of varying technical & business understanding
Ensure projects remain on schedule by setting achievable expectations and timelines, proactively driving tasks for on-time completion, proactively highlighting potential risks to task completion, timely responses to communications, and actively participating in project and program team meetings.
Simultaneously manage multiple projects and prioritize work accordingly to meet established and aligned to timelines and deliverables for each.
Assess and resolve identified packaging design problems and opportunities (ie. consumer, retail, distribution, manufacturing performance) on existing items. Work with cross-functional stakeholders to drive and implement design, quality, process, and system improvements as a result of findings to ensure long-term corrective action.
Create and publish robust and accurate specifications which detail critical attributes to ensure consistent material quality and packaging assembly to meet aligned performance requirements. This includes mechanical drawings, written specifications, and process instructions.
Provide necessary packaging component mechanical drawings for artwork development and layout. Approve graphical artwork for correct application to mechanical drawing and critical-to-function attributes (ie. UPC, date code, eyetrack)
Create, enter and publish accurate packaging bill of materials into the Material Data Management System to enable planning and sourcing of materials, and correct build of the Finished Good Item.
Publish specifications and bill of materials to meet established timelines and priorities to enable production planning and material order requirements.
Support creation and review of packaging quality standards and tolerances, and regulator documents.
Work with Procurement to obtain cost estimates for new packaging materials by providing necessary specifications and information. Assist in presenting cost estimates for input into business case impact analytics.
Ensure packaging related risks and key decisions are proactively, timely, visibly, clearly, and thoroughly documented in project team minutes, gate review documentation, on-line project folder/archives, project presentations, and emails.
Ensure technical reports documenting test results, data, and analytics are appropriately archived in shared data sites/folders, project folder/archives, etc. for easy identification and retrieval.
Proactively seek, identify, and initiate packaging research aimed at decreasing costs, reducing material usage, and improving recyclability while maintaining product & packaging integrity.
Partner with Procurement on implementation of cost reduction strategies/initiatives.
Lead and conduct value analysis activities to identify and implement packaging material and structural changes to improve production and labor efficiencies.
Proactively review internal and external customer data to understand causation of packaging failure or sub-optimal performance, and initiate/develop/implement corrective actions accordingly.
Actively identify and drive opportunities to standardize materials to reduce complexity and enable volume leveraged pricing for packaging components
Actively seek, develop and maintain a professional knowledge of new and emerging trends in packaging technology, and share with others
Identify areas of opportunity to implement new technologies into packaging solutions.
Identify individual Global Behavior and 'Ways of Working' gaps, develop action plan to close gaps, and actively work to close gaps and strengthen skillsets/behaviors