Design for Implementation

Total Marketing Support Limited; Hinckley; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Discretionary bonus

25 days’ holiday plus bank holidays

Pension scheme

Life assurance and income protection

Employee Assistance Programme

Employee Discounts

Cycle to work scheme

Job summary

DS Smith in Hinckney (Hinckley) is seeking a Design for Implementation Specialist to transform packaging concepts into manufacturable, cost-effective solutions. You will balance performance, sustainability, and manufacturing capabilities while driving continuous improvement.

The role requires 3+ years in design, strong CAD skills (ArtiosCAD preferred) and experience with CAPE/Optim packaging software. You will collaborate across teams to deliver projects and support NPI processes.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years' design experience in packaging or related field.
• Technical knowledge of packaging materials, manufacturing processes, and product development.
• Experience using CAD software, preferably ArtiosCAD, alongside packaging-related software such as CAPE, Optim, or similar.
• Understanding of 2D and 3D technical drawings.
• Excellent project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Process and manage daily design inquiries from internal and external stakeholders.
• Assess customer insights and translate requirements into practical packaging solutions.
• Develop fit-for-purpose designs balancing performance, sustainability, and cost.
• Create and maintain technical and manufacturing drawings including structural and graphic specs.
• Support NPI processes and manufacturing approvals.
• Route specifications through business systems to ensure accurate implementation.
• Produce prototypes and manage prototype materials for evaluations.
• Collaborate with manufacturing, sales, innovation, and customer teams to ensure project delivery.

Skills

Design for packaging

CAD software

ArtiosCAD

CAPE/Optim

Project management

Communication

Education

Packaging qualification

Product Design qualification

Maths and English qualifications

Tools

Microsoft Office

CAPE/Optim

Job description

About the role

At DS Smith, we're redefining packaging through innovation, sustainability, and customer-focused solutions. We are looking for a Design for Implementation Specialist to join our team and play a critical role in transforming packaging concepts into manufacturable, commercially successful solutions. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced packaging professional who combines technical expertise, creativity, and project management skills to deliver high-quality packaging solutions that meet customer requirements while driving operational efficiency and continuous improvement.

Key responsibilities

As a Design for Implementation Specialist, you will:

• Process and manage daily design enquiries from internal and external stakeholders.
• Assess customer insights and translate requirements into practical packaging solutions.
• Develop fit-for-purpose designs that balance performance, sustainability, manufacturing capability, and cost.
• Create and maintain technical and manufacturing drawings, including structural and graphic specifications.
• Support New Product Introduction (NPI) processes and manufacturing approvals.
• Route specifications through business systems to ensure accurate implementation.
• Produce prototypes and manage prototype materials to support customer and internal evaluations.
• Raise and manage tooling orders and technical specifications.
• Support production line trials, efficiency improvements, waste reduction initiatives, and margin enhancement projects.
• Provide support for board grade modelling, PACE activities, and packaging optimisation projects.
• Develop inbound and outbound logistics pallet plans to maximise supply chain efficiency.
• Collaborate closely with manufacturing, sales, innovation, commercial, and customer teams to ensure successful project delivery.

About you

Essential Skills & Experience

• Minimum 3 years' design experience, packaging experience would be advantageous.
• Technical knowledge of packaging materials, manufacturing processes, and product development preferred.
• Experience using CAD software, preferably ArtiosCAD, alongside packaging-related software such as CAPE, Optim, or similar.
• Understanding of 2D and 3D technical drawings.
• Excellent project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively with both internal and external stakeholders.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and organisational skills.

Qualifications

• Packaging industry qualification or equivalent relevant experience.
• Product Design qualification or related discipline.
• Maths and English qualifications.
• Competent user of Microsoft Office applications.
• Competent user of CAD and graphics software.
• Health & Safety qualification desirable.
• Lean Manufacturing and/or Six Sigma qualification desirable.

We're looking for someone who:

• Is a proactive self-starter with a creative mindset.
• Enjoys solving complex challenges and finding innovative solutions.
• Thrives in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Shares best practices and supports continuous improvement.
• Demonstrates enthusiasm, resilience, and a commitment to excellence.
• Champions health and safety in everything they do.
• Builds strong relationships and collaborates effectively across teams.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Discretionary bonus

25 days’ holiday plus bank holidays

Pension scheme, life assurance and income protection

Employee Assistance Programme

Employee Discounts

Cycle to work scheme

Location

Hinckley

Hours

Full Time

About us

We are DS Smith, together with International Paper, we are a global leader in sustainable packaging solutions and other fibre-based products. We believe a better, more sustainable tomorrow is possible with the right people, who challenge and support one another to enact positive change. We employ more than 65,000 colleagues in North America and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), who are experts in innovation, manufacturing, design, sales, sustainability, supply chain, and much more. Together with our customers, we make the world safer and more productive, one sustainable packaging solution at a time. Become part of a world-leading organisation and do your best work with us!

Fair recruitment at DS Smith

To fulfil our purpose of redefining packaging for a changing world, we aim to build a diverse, motivated, and engaged workforce. Our goal is to create a culture of inclusion where everyone is treated fairly, differences are valued, and everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed. Our people come from diverse backgrounds, bring different perspectives, ideas and experiences to generate unique solutions focused on present and future #LI-CE

We are DS Smith, together with International Paper, we are a global leader in sustainable packaging solutions and other fibre-based products.We believe a better, more sustainable tomorrow is possible with the right people, who challenge and support one another to enact positive change. We employ more than 60,000 colleagues in North America and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), who are experts in innovation,manufacturing, design, sales, sustainability, supply chain, and much more. Together with our customers, we make the world safer and more productive, one sustainable packaging solution at a time. Become part of a world-leading organisation and do your best work with us!

Candidate experience

As the journey continues of bringing together the strengths of both organisations, during your candidate experience you may engage with our colleagues from International Paper! You could visit an International Paper or DS Smith site or office.