What you will be doing:- Focus on new product innovation, process improvement, and optimizing packaging solutions.
- Manage packaging cost, design, material selection, and conduct analytical testing for continuous improvement.
- Lead the packaging engineering team and oversee the development, design, and optimization of packaging processes while ensuring compliance with quality, regulatory, labeling, and safety standards.
- Lead packaging projects with a hands-on approach, collaborating with headquarters in Korea and suppliers for seamless execution.
- Collaborate with cross-functional departments including Marketing, Operations, vendors, and suppliers to create packaging that aligns with brand and product goals and provides ideas, solutions, and alternatives for product excellence.
- Manage new product development and improvement from concept through commercialization with a primary focus on packaging specifications and packaging machinery and processes.
- Collaborate with internal teams to develop innovative packaging concepts for commercialization, considering factors such as quality, shelf life, sustainability, regulatory compliance, cost, product protection, and consumer experience.
- Design sustainable packaging solutions that reduce environmental impact while maintaining cost-effectiveness and functionality.
- Stay informed on packaging sustainability, machinery and equipment, and regulations while collaborating with the regulatory team.
- Facilitate product excellence management on co-packing products, including supporting process improvements for quality and cost reduction.
- Maintain Quality Management System (QMS) for all assigned products.
- Support the research and evaluation of new packaging materials for cost, sustainability, food safety, quality, performance, compatibility, and identify prospective co-packers on NPD projects.
- Maintain awareness of emerging trends and comparative products in the competition, making recommendations for compliance and market competitiveness.
- Conduct scale-up tests/activities from R&D to full-scale production, ensuring smooth transitions and maintaining packaging integrity.
- Report updates and progress status of R&D projects using MS Project software in line with NPD process.
- Apply food microbiology and chemistry knowledge to identify the root causes of product defects and propose preventive actions.
- Assist with special project assignments as needed.
Experience you will need:- Bachelor's degree in Packaging Engineering, Food Science, or a related field.
- 10+ years of experience in packaging development and application, or related fields in the food manufacturing industry.
- Hands-on experience with the full packaging design and development lifecycle, from concept to final production.
- Strong knowledge of packaging materials, technologies, testing methods, and machinery.
- Deep understanding of industry best practices, including packaging qualification standards, production supply chain requirements, and transportation logistics.
- Understanding of food safety, quality assurance, and regulatory requirements pertaining to food and packaging development.
- Ability to lead a team toward operational objectives.
- Experience working closely with packaging suppliers in packaging development.
- Experience in food product development and new product development is a plus.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Intermediate proficiency in MS Office, Outlook, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
- Strong interpersonal, organizational, and time management skills.
- Bilingual in Korean preferred.
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