Packaging Technologist

Pineapple Contracts; Aylesford; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Discretionary annual bonus

Pension scheme

15 work from home days per year

Free onsite parking

Job summary

Pineapple is seeking a Packaging Technologist to research, develop and source cost-effective, sustainable packaging to protect our furniture during transport. You’ll collaborate with NPD, Sustaining Engineering, Marketing and Purchasing, and external suppliers to define packaging specifications and coordinate trials.

The role requires a formal education in Packaging Engineering or equivalent, plus experience in packaging development and knowledge of packaging materials and trends.

Qualifications

• Formally educated in Packaging Engineering, Packaging Technology or equivalent.
• Experience in packaging development.
• Knowledge of packaging materials, manufacturing processes and industry trends.
• Experience using Autodesk Revit to support packaging artwork development.
• Strong MS Office and Adobe suite skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop new cost-efficient packaging solutions across product ranges in response to project briefs.
• Ensure packaging materials meet requirements and specifications.
• Develop and champion sustainable packaging strategy.
• Research new packaging materials and produce samples for testing.
• Coordinate with marketing, purchasing and production teams; liaise with external suppliers.
• Identify opportunities to reduce costs while maintaining quality.

Skills

Communication skills

Practical problem-solving

Packaging development

Team collaboration

Education

Packaging Engineering or Packaging Technology

Tools

Autodesk Revit

Microsoft Office

Adobe Suite

Job description

Packaging Technologist

LOCATION: Aylesford, Kent, Office based

WORKING HOURS: 8.00am – 4.30pm

CONTRACT: Full-time, Permanent

Join Our Team

We’re looking for a Packaging Technologist to join our growing team at Pineapple.

This is an exciting opportunity to become part of an award-winning business where you’ll play an important role in supporting our continued success. If you’re passionate about delivering great results, enjoy working collaboratively and are looking for a company that genuinely values its people, we’d love to hear from you.

What We’re Looking for

As a Packaging Technologist, you’ll be responsible for researching, developing and sourcing packaging solutions that are cost-effective, sustainable and designed to protect our furniture throughout transportation.

You’ll work closely with NPD, Sustaining Engineering, Marketing and Purchasing, as well as external suppliers, to develop packaging specifications, manage costings and coordinate trials. We’re looking for someone who is a confident communicator, practical problem-solver and comfortable working collaboratively across different teams.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Develop new cost-efficient packaging solutions across our product ranges in response to project briefs.
• Ensure that packaging materials meet set requirements and specifications.
• Develop and champion our sustainable packaging strategy.
• Research new packaging materials and produce samples to test different materials and designs.
• Liaise with marketing, purchasing and production teams as required.
• Identify opportunities to reduce costs while maintaining quality and practicality.
• Run trials to check packaging for suitability and testing for performance under various conditions.
• Control production and quality standards, including reporting packaging that doesn’t meet these standards.
• Evaluate, select and negotiate with suppliers.
• Negotiate packaging options with suppliers, identifying products and thrive to achieve economies of scale.
• Support with the packaging artwork development process.
• Analyse data and write reports as required.
• Keep up to date with technological innovations and packaging materials trends.
• Any other ad hoc duties as required by the business.

What success looks like

You’ll be successful when you’ve developed packaging solutions that protect our products, offer value for money, meet our sustainability goals, and are delivered efficiently through strong collaboration with internal teams and suppliers.

Ideally, you’ll have:

• You must have a formal education in Packaging Engineering, Packaging Technology or equivalent experience.
• Previous experience in packaging development.
• Demonstrable knowledge of a variety of packaging materials, manufacturing processes, and industry trends.
• Experience in Autodesk Revit to support in the development of packaging artwork.
• Excellent Administrative skills with competent use of Microsoft Office and Adobe suite.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Benefits and Perks

Here’s what you can look forward to when you join us:

• We’re proud to be recognised as one of The Sunday Times Best Places to Work for three consecutive years) – and we work hard to make sure our people genuinely feel it
• Competitive salary and a discretionary annual bonus
• 15 work from home days per year
• Pension scheme
• Healthcare Cash Plan – claim back medical, dental and optical costs
• Perks & rewards platform – access hundreds of deals and discounts
• Gym discounts through our perks platform
• Employee Assistance Programme – confidential support when you need it
• 23 days’ holiday plus UK bank holidays, increasing to 26 with length of service
• An extra day off for your birthday
• Loyalty reward for increasing years of service
• Death in service
• Learning & Development platform with online courses, certifications and professional development tools to support ur career growth
• Tree planted in your honour when you join – with trees already planted in the UK, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya and Madagascar
• Sustainability-focused business – committed to low-carbon operations, renewable energy and recycled materials
• Regular team socials and events, including summer and Christmas parties
• Christmas gift
• Monthly Pizza Friday
• Free fruit, snacks, hot drinks and cold beverages
• Refer a friend scheme – £250 reward
• EV car charging facilities
• High-quality, modern office environment
• Free onsite parking / within walking distance from the train station

About Pineapple

Pineapple is a global leader in designing innovative furniture for challenging environments. Founded in 1975 as a family-run business, we’ve grown into an international organisation with headquarters in Kent and offices in France, Germany and the USA.

With more than 200 employees worldwide, we’re passionate about creating furniture that not only looks great and performs exceptionally but also helps create calm, safe and inspiring spaces for the people who use it.

We’re proud to have been recognised as one of The Sunday Times Best Places to Work for three consecutive years. Our people are at the heart of everything we do, and we’re committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, supported and empowered to succeed.

Our Values

We’re proud of the culture we’ve built and are looking for someone who shares our values:

Teamwork – We work collaboratively, supporting one another and recognising that the best results come from working together

Committed – We take pride in what we do, showing dedication, reliability and a strong work ethic every day.

Ownership – We take responsibility for our work, act with integrity and continually look for ways to improve.

Positive – We approach challenges with optimism, enthusiasm and a solutions-focused mindset.

Responsive – We act quickly, communicate effectively and always strive to exceed customer expectations.

If you’re looking for a supportive, people-first workplace where you can grow your career and genuinely enjoy coming to work, you’ll feel right at home with us.

Diversity & Inclusion -Pineapple is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive.