Manager, Close Loop Recycling

Pregis LLC; Chicago, Northern (IL, KY); Hybrid; USD 129,000 - 155,000; Full time

Job summary

Pregis LLC seeks a Manager, Closed Loop Recycling to lead strategy, development, and execution of circular economy and recycling initiatives. You will coordinate across sustainability, operations, manufacturing, supply chain, and product teams to accelerate circularity and deliver environmental and business benefits.

You will build scalable solutions, drive cost savings and resilience, and manage partnerships with customers, recyclers, and suppliers while maintaining leadership in packaging

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field is required; a master's degree is preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in packaging, recycling, or sustainability.
• Proven ability to lead enterprise-wide sustainability and circular economy programs.
• Strong business acumen with ability to build business cases and investments.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and leadership capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead enterprise-wide closed-loop recycling and circular economy strategies.
• Develop roadmaps, objectives, and plans aligned with sustainability goals.
• Drive recycling programs, material traceability, and cost/benefit analysis.
• Cultivate partnerships with customers, recyclers, suppliers, and industry bodies.
• Oversee metrics, reporting, and cross-functional execution across units.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Sustainability

Cross-functional collaboration

Program management

Data-driven decisions

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree preferred

Job description

Manager, Closed Loop Recycling

Location: Flexible/United States (Travel Required)

Reports to: Chief Sustainability Officer

Position Summary

The Manager, Closed Loop Recycling is responsible for leading the strategy, development, commercialization, and execution of Pregis' circular economy and recycling. This role serves as a key leader within the Sustainability organization, driving the integration of closed-loop recycling programs and recycled content utilization across all business units and manufacturing facilities.

The successful candidate will work at the intersection of sustainability, operations, manufacturing, supply chain, procurement, engineering, product development, and commercial teams to accelerate circularity, increase recycled-content utilization and deliver measurable business, environmental, and customer value.

This leader will develop scalable solutions that support Pregis' sustainability commitments while driving operational performance, cost savings, supply resilience, and growth opportunities.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Sustainability Roadmap

• Lead the development and execution of Pregis' enterprise-wide closed-loop recycling, recycled content utilization, zero waste, and operational sustainability strategies.
• Establish long-term roadmaps, objectives, and implementation plans that support corporate sustainability goals and business growth.
• Align business units and manufacturing operations around a common vision for circular economy, waste reduction, resource efficiency, and carbon reduction.
• Identify, prioritize, and lead high-value sustainability projects and investments that generate measurable environmental and financial returns.
• Develop and maintain sustainability KPIs, performance scorecards, and reporting mechanisms to track progress against company objectives.

Closed Loop Recycling & Circular Economy Programs

• Design, implement, and scale end-to-end closed-loop recycling programs for flexible packaging, plastic films, foam, and related products.
• Lead initiatives to increase utilization of reclaimed, post-consumer recycled (PCR), and post-industrial recycled (PIR) materials across product portfolios.
• Develop material traceability, mass balance, and recovery systems to support circular economy programs.
• Identify opportunities to improve recycling yields, material recovery rates, waste diversion, and overall program economics.
• Quantify and communicate environmental impacts, cost savings, and business value generated through recycling and circularity initiatives.

Commercial Development & Strategic Partnerships

• Identify and develop commercial opportunities related to recycled-content packaging and circular economy solutions.
• Build and manage strategic partnerships with customers, brand owners, recyclers, converters, retailers, resin suppliers, waste management providers, and industry organizations.
• Support customer sustainability initiatives through the development of value propositions and circular economy solutions.
• Develop business cases and financial models supporting investments in recycling infrastructure, material sourcing, technology, and sustainability projects.
• Potentially represent Pregis at customer meetings, sustainability forums, industry conferences, and trade associations.

Material Development & Product Innovation

• Partner with Product Development, Engineering, Category Management, and Technical teams to develop recyclable and recycled-content packaging solutions.
• Evaluate, qualify, and commercialize recycled materials for new and existing applications.
• Support material testing, manufacturing trials, performance validation, and commercialization activities.
• Monitor developments in recycling technologies, processing systems, material streams, and emerging circular economy business models.
• Improve recyclability, recycled-content utilization, product performance, and overall cost competitiveness across product portfolios.

Industry Leadership & Regulatory Monitoring

• Serve as the company's internal expert on plastics recycling, recycled content utilization
• Monitor regulatory developments related to recycling, packaging waste, recycled-content mandates, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), carbon reduction, and sustainability reporting.
• Track market trends, emerging technologies, and competitive developments that impact sustainability and recycling programs.
• Identify future growth opportunities and innovations that strengthen Pregis' market leadership.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Packaging Science, Polymer Science, Sustainability, Environmental Science, Supply Chain, Operations Management, Business, or a related field.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in packaging, plastics, recycling, manufacturing, sustainability, operations, supply chain, product development, or related industries.
• Demonstrated success leading enterprise-wide sustainability, circular economy,
• Strong understanding of flexible packaging, polymers, film extrusion, converting, recycling systems, reclaimed materials, and manufacturing operations.
• Proven experience managing complex cross-functional programs and influencing senior leadership.
• Strong business acumen with experience building business cases and evaluating investment opportunities.
• Excellent communication, presentation, stakeholder management, and leadership skills.
• Ability to travel as required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Engineering, Materials Science, Sustainability, Packaging, Operations Management, or Business Administration (MBA).
• PMP, Lean Six Sigma, or equivalent project management and continuous improvement certifications.
• Experience with PCR, PIR, recycling technologies, material recovery systems, and circular economy programs.
• Knowledge of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), greenhouse gas accounting, renewable energy procurement, and corporate sustainability reporting.
• Established relationships within the plastics, packaging, recycling, sustainability, or manufacturing industries.

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic Leadership
• Circular Economy Expertise
• Operational Excellence
• Commercial Acumen
• Program & Project Management
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Data-Driven Decision Making
• Partnership Development
• Change Management
• Executive Communication

Success Measures (First 24 Months)

• Increase recycled content utilization and recycled-content adoption across key product lines.
• Launch and scale multiple closed-loop recycling programs across business units and key customers.
• Establish strategic supplier, recycler, and customer partnerships that strengthen circular material supply.
• Deliver measurable cost savings, risk reduction, revenue growth, and sustainability outcomes through circular economy initiatives.
• Improve customer engagement and retention through innovative sustainability and recycling solutions.

Compensation

The listed annualized base pay range is primarily based on analysis of similar positions. Actual base pay could vary and may be above or below the listed range based on factors including but not limited to performance, proficiency and demonstration of competencies required for the role. The base pay is just one component of Pregis’ total compensation package. The base pay range for this role is estimated to be $129,000 to $155,000, depending on experience and skills.

Compensation details listed in US job postings reflect base salary only and do not include benefits. Learn more about Benefits at Pregis.