Director, Packaging

TreeHouse Foods, Inc.; Oak Brook (IL); Hybrid; USD 165,000 - 248,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

401(k) matching

Paid time off and holidays

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

TreeHouse Foods, Inc. is seeking a Director of Packaging at our Oak Brook, Illinois headquarters to lead packaging strategy, development, validation, and implementation across the enterprise.

This role drives innovation, cost savings, and sustainability initiatives while aligning packaging solutions with business goals and product requirements. You will provide executive-level technical leadership, oversee cross-functional projects, and mentor engineers to build a high-performing packaging

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Packaging, Engineering or related field.
• 15+ years of progressive experience in packaging technology, materials, and development within the food/CPG industry.
• 5-7 years in a senior leadership role.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and technical oversight for all packaging initiatives, serving as the primary expert on cross-functional project teams while directing internal and external manufacturing start-ups and ongoing technical support.
• Establish and govern packaging specifications, in-process control points, testing requirements, and operating guidelines to ensure consistency, compliance, and quality across the enterprise.
• Champion innovation, technology advancements, cost savings opportunities, and strategic alignment of packaging projects.
• Build, mentor, and develop high-performing packaging teams, including coaching and guiding senior and junior engineers to foster technical excellence and career growth.
• Direct the design, execution, and analysis of technical experiments, validations, and pilot programs to drive data-based decision making.
• Set the overall technical strategic direction for packaging, including identifying and initiating new programs, evaluating emerging technologies, and managing technical resource planning and allocation.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver integrated packaging solutions that support business growth.
• Communicate complex technical concepts clearly and influence senior leadership and cross-functional stakeholders on key packaging initiatives, risks, and opportunities.
• Develop a strong technical supplier network.

Job description

USA-IL Oak Brook

Full time

R30564

Employee Type:

Full time

Location:

IL Oak Brook

Job Type:

Research and Development Packaging

Job Posting Title:

Director, Packaging

About Us

TreeHouse Foods is a leading manufacturer of private label packaged foods and beverages, operating a network of over 20 production facilities and several corporate offices across the United States and Canada. At TreeHouse Foods, our commitment to excellence extends beyond our products and revolves around our people. We are investing in talent and creating a performance-based culture where employees can do their best work and develop their careers, directly impacting our mission to make high quality, affordable food for our customers, communities, and families. We hope you will consider joining the team and being part of our future.

Named one of America’s Best Large Employers by Forbes Magazine, we are proud to live by a strong set of values and strive to "Engage and Delight – One Customer at a Time." Guided by our values— Own It, Commit to Excellence, Be Agile, Speak Up, and Better Together. We are a diverse team driven by integrity, accountability, and a commitment to exceptional results. We embrace change, prioritize continuous learning, and foster collaboration, transparency, and healthy debate. Together, we set each other up for success to achieve enterprise-wide goals.

What You Gain

• Competitive compensation and benefits program with no waiting period – you’re eligible from your first day!
• 401(k) program with 5% employer match and 100% vesting as soon as you enroll.
• Comprehensive paid time off opportunities, including immediate access to four weeks of vacation, five sick days, parental leave and 11 company holidays (including two floating holidays).
• Leaders who are invested in supporting your accelerated career growth, plus paid training, tuition reimbursement and a robust educational platform – DevelopU – with more than 10,000 free courses to support you along the way.
• An inclusive working environment where you can build meaningful work relationships with a diverse group of professionals. Take advantage of opportunities to build on our team-oriented culture, such as joining one of our Employee Resource Groups.
• Access to our wellness and employee assistance programs.

Job Description

About the Role

We are seeking a Director of Packaging to join our team at our Oak Brook, Illinois corporate office. This role will lead the strategic direction, design, development, validation, and implementation of packaging technologies, line extensions, package/product improvements, and technical services across TreeHouse Foods. Drive innovation and value creation through cost reductions, new technologies, sustainability initiatives, and packaging solutions that align with business objectives and product requirements. Provide executive-level technical leadership to elevate packaging as a competitive advantage for the organization.

You’ll add value to this role by performing various functions including, but not limited to:

• Provide strategic leadership and technical oversight for all packaging initiatives, serving as the primary expert on cross-functional project teams while directing internal and external manufacturing start-ups and ongoing technical support.
• Establish and govern packaging specifications, in-process control points, testing requirements, and operating guidelines to ensure consistency, compliance, and quality across the enterprise.
• Champion innovation, technology advancements, cost savings opportunities, and strategic alignment of packaging projects. Influence senior leadership on packaging strategy and serve as the go-to expert for the organization.
• Build, mentor, and develop high-performing packaging teams, including coaching and guiding senior and junior engineers to foster technical excellence and career growth.
• Direct the design, execution, and analysis of technical experiments, validations, and pilot programs to drive data-based decision making.
• Set the overall technical strategic direction for packaging, including identifying and initiating new programs, evaluating emerging technologies, and managing technical resource planning and allocation.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver integrated packaging solutions that support business growth.
• Communicate complex technical concepts clearly and influence senior leadership and cross-functional stakeholders on key packaging initiatives, risks, and opportunities.
• Develop a strong technical supplier network.

Important Details

• The anticipated compensation for this position ranges from $165,100.00 - 247,700.00 USD annually. This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, specific competencies, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, seniority, geographic location, performance, shift, travel requirements, sales or revenue-based metrics and business or organizational needs. For certain roles, the successful candidate may be eligible for annual discretionary merit compensation award, bonus and equity pay.
• This is a full-time, hybrid role based in our Oak Brook, IL office. Travel up to 35% may be required to support project work.

You’ll fit right in if you have:

• Bachelor's degree in Packaging, Engineering or related field is required. degree is preferred.
• 15+ years of progressive experience in packaging technology, materials, and development within the food or CPG industry, with at least 5-7 years in a senior leadership role.
• Proven strategic leadership in driving large-scale technical programs and packaging transformations that deliver significant cost savings, innovation, and business value.
• Demonstrated ability to influence executive decision-making and provide high-impact technical input at the senior leadership level.
• Expert-level cross-functional team leadership and technical project management skills, with a track record of successfully delivering complex, multi-site initiatives.
• Recognized internally and externally as a subject matter expert in packaging, with broad and deep technical proficiency across multiple material types and processes.
• Advanced skills in project management, negotiation, stakeholder communication, technical problem-solving, and influencing at all organizational levels.

At TreeHouse Foods, we embrace diversity and inclusion for innovation and growth. We are committed to building inclusive teams and an equitable workplace for our employees to bring their true selves to work to help us “Engage and Delight – One Customer at a Time”. TreeHouse Foods is an Equal Opportunity Employer that prohibits discrimination or harassment of any type. All qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Applicants who require an accommodation to participate in the job application or hiring process should contact [e-mail]

TreeHouse Foods is a private label food and beverage leader focused on customer brands and custom products. When customers partner with TreeHouse they can expect access to an industry-leading portfolio, strategic vision, on-trend innovation and insights, world-class supply chain, operational excellence and flexibility, collaborative approaches, and dedicated customer service.

Our strategy is to be the leading supplier of private label food and beverage products by providing the best balance of quality and cost to our customers. We engage with retail grocery, food away from home, and industrial and export customers, including most of the leading grocery retailers and foodservice operators in the United States and Canada. Our portfolio includes a variety of shelf-stable, refrigerated, and snack products.

Customers can expect comprehensive flavor profiles including natural, organic, and preservative-free ingredients in many categories and packaging formats. TreeHouse Foods is best known for food and beverages produced by our two largest businesses Bay Valley Foods, LLC (including E.D. Smith and Sturm Foods) and TreeHouse Private Brands. With more than 10,000 employees in over 26 plants across the United States and Canada, TreeHouse Foods is based in Oak Brook, Illinois.