Global Packaging Innovation Lead

Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream; Bakersfield (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream is seeking a technical packaging lead to drive Innovation & Renovation, Buy Better, and quality improvements. You will guide the packaging development function from ideation to industrialization and collaborate with R&D, Quality, Operations, and external vendors.

Lead a packaging team, manage timelines, and ensure packaging materials meet safety and regulatory standards while optimizing costs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Packaging Science.
• No prior experience required, although any experience supporting packaging, manufacturing, or product development in a food or consumer packaged goods (CPG) environment is a plus.
• Experience working with new product development or commercialization projects, including packaging trials, scale-ups, or first-production runs
• Strong understanding of packaging materials, structures, and equipment compatibility for frozen products
• Working knowledge of food safety, quality, and regulatory requirements, including GMPs, HACCP, SQF, FDA labeling, and change control processes
• Ability to coordinate packaging specifications, samples, and testing with R&D, Quality, Operations, Procurement, and external vendors
• Experience managing packaging documentation such as material specifications, packaging (chemical) safety and regulatory compliance, technical drawings, trial reports, and validation records
• Familiarity with ERP/MRP systems and ability to track packaging components, costs, and timelines
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills with high attention to detail
• Effective written and verbal communication skills; comfortable presenting findings and updates to cross-functional teams
• Ability to support plant trials and work in a cold or freezer manufacturing environment
• Willingness to work flexible schedules to support product trials, launches, and commercialization timelines
• Willingness to travel to various US manufacturing sites in support of trials and start-ups

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Packaging team, support the packaging development strategy and the annual new product development plan.
• Ensure that all people management activities and requirements are covered effectively, efficiently and on time.
• Work hand in hand with the Quality and Operational teams to identify and prevent packaging defects. Work directly with packaging vendors to resolve quality defects.
• Work with operations and engineering to optimize the packaging performance on packaging equipment.
• Manages and supports the packaging development function from ideation through to Industrialization.
• Identifies the optimal packaging material and die-lines for new ice cream products. Works with vendors to ensure correct specifications are captured and agreed upon.
• Perform basic packaging quality checks to ensure the structural integrity of our packages and that they comply with the agreed specifications.
• Ensuring that any new packaging is tested and trialed on the factory and palletization equipment in the development stage and that Operations and Marketing have signed off on the final design.
• Design palletization patterns to optimize the transportation costs while ensuring pallet stability and quality.
• Ensure that the artwork development process has the right quality of technical information to allow the creative services team to develop the graphics.
• Contribute to developing the Market Packaging sourcing and ESG strategy translating it into a local packaging project pipeline.
• Obtain a good understanding of DGIC manufacturing capabilities and packaging equipment.
• Develop strategic relationships with key packaging suppliers to define with Procurement the optimal sourcing strategy and to partner with companies offering innovations on new and relevant sustainable packaging materials.
• Ensure project management tools are used for managing timelines, project teams and key stakeholders to ensure that all key activities are managed appropriately.
• Ensure that all technical packaging documentation is organized, maintained and accessible.

Skills

Analytical skills

Organizational skills

Problem-solving

Cross-functional communication

Project management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Packaging Science

Tools

ERP/MRP systems

Job description

Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream is seeking a technical packaging lead to drive Innovation & Renovation, Buy Better, and quality improvements. You will guide the packaging development function from ideation to industrialization and collaborate with R&D, Quality, Operations, and external vendors.

Lead a packaging team, manage timelines, and ensure packaging materials meet safety and regulatory standards while optimizing costs.