Innovation Packaging Engineer: Prototyping & Strategy

PDI; Woodcliff Lake (NJ); On-site; USD 80,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Savings Account

Vision

401(k) match

Life Insurance

Disability Insurance

FSAs

EAP

Health Advocacy

Voluntary benefits

Paid time off

Job summary

PDI is seeking a Packaging Specialist for its Discovery & Innovation team in the United States. The role focuses on early-stage packaging concepts, rapid prototyping, and translating insights into testable concepts to drive the R&D pipeline.

Ideal candidates have 3–6 years in packaging engineering or innovation, a BS in packaging or related field, and experience with regulated environments. You will own projects end-to-end and collaborate across functions to shape future platforms.

Qualifications

• BS in Packaging Engineering or related field; advanced degree preferred.
• 3–6 years in packaging engineering or innovation R&D; experience with early-stage research.
• Experience in regulated environments (FDA, EPA, medical device, pharma, or consumer healthcare).

Responsibilities

• Lead upstream packaging innovation by developing early-stage concepts.
• Transform consumer insights into actionable designs and solutions.
• Engage with suppliers, startups, and academia to leverage external innovation.
• Curate a portfolio of opportunities across time horizons.
• Own assigned innovation workstreams from scope to execution.
• Design, build, and test prototypes through rapid experimentation.
• Collaborate with Discovery & Innovation scientists and engineers to integrate packaging into early research.
• Identify and mitigate technical, material, regulatory risks.
• Synthesize findings into technical narratives for stakeholders.

Skills

Packaging fundamentals

Feasibility testing

Experiment design

Technical storytelling

Cross-functional collaboration

External partnerships

Ownership

Emerging tech trends

AI-enabled tools

Education

BS in Packaging Engineering

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

PDI is seeking a Packaging Specialist for its Discovery & Innovation team in the United States. The role focuses on early-stage packaging concepts, rapid prototyping, and translating insights into testable concepts to drive the R&D pipeline.

Ideal candidates have 3–6 years in packaging engineering or innovation, a BS in packaging or related field, and experience with regulated environments. You will own projects end-to-end and collaborate across functions to shape future platforms.