Senior Packaging Innovator: Materials & Validation

AG Barr Group; Horwich; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

34 days holiday

Bonus

Flexible holiday trading

Living Wage Employer

Healthcare Cash Plan

Peppy Health

Life assurance

Save as you earn scheme

Staff sales discount

Free AG Barr products

Job summary

AG Barr Group is seeking a Senior Packaging Technologist to join our R&D function, delivering Material Development & Validation activities. Reporting to the R&D Packaging Manager, you will bridge packaging concepts to commercial reality, profiling materials, industrialising components and validating formats across the supply chain.

You will lead validation programmes for new container shapes, closures and secondary packaging, optimise resins, and ensure carbonation retention and structural

Qualifications

• Degree level in Packaging, Science or Engineering with significant post-graduate experience in a technical packaging role within FMCG.
• Proven expertise in technical validation and material profiling across multiple formats (PET/rPET, metals, glass, cartons).
• Experience leading complex factory trials and bridging R&D specs with high‑speed manufacturing reality.
• Knowledge of packaging material manufacture, liquid filling technologies, bottle labelling, multipacking and palletisation in drinks.
• Knowledge and operation of quality systems such as GFSI, BRC, HACCP.

Responsibilities

• Act as lead technical authority for material integrity and functional performance of packaging components.
• Design and execute validation programmes and factory trials for on-line performance of new formats.
• Lead material science workstreams including profiling of resins and recycled blends.
• Collaborate with Procurement and Production on supply chain optimisations and lightweighting.
• Own technical specifications meeting AG Barr's quality standards and environmental compliance.
• Provide governance within Stage & Gate processes and manage technical risk.

Skills

Packaging expertise

Validation experience

Factory trials leadership

GFSI/HACCP knowledge

Stakeholder management

Education

Degree in Packaging, Science or Engineering

Tools

PET/rPET knowledge

Injection/Stretch Blow Moulding

Aluminium cans, glass, cartons packaging

Job description

AG Barr Group is seeking a Senior Packaging Technologist to join our R&D function, delivering Material Development & Validation activities. Reporting to the R&D Packaging Manager, you will bridge packaging concepts to commercial reality, profiling materials, industrialising components and validating formats across the supply chain.

You will lead validation programmes for new container shapes, closures and secondary packaging, optimise resins, and ensure carbonation retention and structural