Role Overview
We are looking for an experienced Packaging Technologist / Packaging Development Manager with 8+ years of experience to lead and support packaging development, innovation, sustainability, productivity, and project delivery across FMCG and food-related categories.
The ideal candidate should have strong end-to-end packaging development experience, covering concept development, material selection, design validation, trials, testing, documentation, commercialization, and launch support. The role requires strong technical packaging knowledge, project management capability, supplier coordination, and the ability to work closely with cross-functional teams across R&D, manufacturing, procurement, quality, regulatory, supply chain, and business stakeholders.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead packaging development projects from ideation to commercialization for new product launches, renovations, productivity, sustainability, and packaging harmonization initiatives.
- Manage packaging projects across flexible packaging, rigid packaging, bottles, pouches, caps, cartons, labels, printed packaging, and other relevant packaging formats.
- Drive sustainable packaging initiatives, including recycled materials, mono-material structures, material reduction, alternative materials, and packaging re-engineering.
- Plan and coordinate packaging trials, testing, validation, specifications, documentation, and approval processes.
- Collaborate with internal teams, including R&D, manufacturing, quality, procurement, regulatory, supply chain, and commercial teams, to ensure smooth project execution.
- Work closely with packaging suppliers, converters, printers, and external partners for material development, technical feasibility, cost improvement, and project timelines.
- Support packaging productivity and cost-saving initiatives through alternative materials, alternate technologies, supplier development, and process improvements.
- Ensure packaging designs, materials, labels, and technical documents comply with regulatory, quality, customer, and market requirements.
- Manage packaging development for local and export markets, ensuring alignment with market-specific requirements and launch timelines.
- Maintain packaging databases, specifications, testing records, reports, and project documentation.
- Drive continuous improvement in packaging development processes, systems, and workflows.
Required Skills and Experience
- Minimum 8+ years of experience in packaging development, packaging technology, R&D packaging, or packaging project management.
- Experience in FMCG, food, nutrition, personal care, home care, or related consumer goods industries.
- Strong understanding of packaging materials, formats, conversion technologies, printing, labelling, and packaging validation.
- Hands-on experience in sustainability packaging projects such as recycled packaging, mono-material structures, PCR materials, material reduction, and packaging optimization.
- Good knowledge of packaging specifications, testing methods, documentation, validation, and commercialization processes.
- Experience working with suppliers, converters, printers, manufacturing teams, and cross-functional business stakeholders.
- Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple packaging projects, priorities, and timelines.
- Good understanding of productivity, cost improvement, packaging harmonization, and value engineering initiatives.
- Strong communication, coordination, and stakeholder management skills.
- Good English communication skills, both written and verbal.
Preferred Background
- Experience in food, biscuits, nutrition, dairy, personal care, or FMCG packaging will be preferred.
- Exposure to export packaging, regulatory labelling, packaging compliance, and supplier development will be an added advantage.
- Experience in packaging innovation, sustainability, productivity, and cost-saving projects will be highly preferred.
- Prior experience in managing packaging projects from concept to commercialization across multiple markets will be an advantage.
