Packaging Development Manager

Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream; Bakersfield (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream in the United States is seeking an experienced Packaging Development Leader to guide the packaging team and translate strategic goals into tangible projects.

You will own the packaging program, collaborate with Marketing and Operations, and drive sustainable packaging initiatives while ensuring quality and cost targets.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in packaging technology or engineering.
• 8+ years in packaging development (3+ in leadership) in CPG or food and beverage.
• Experience with sustainable packaging materials and FDA/USDA or international food safety standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the packaging development function from ideation through industrialization.
• Identify optimal packaging materials and die-lines for new products with vendors.
• Ensure packaging meets food safety, quality standards and timelines.
• Design palletization patterns to optimize transportation costs and pallet stability.
• Maintain technical packaging data and collaborate with Marketing and Operations.
• Develop ESG and sourcing strategies with Procurement for packaging projects.

Skills

Packaging development

Leadership

FDA/USDA compliance

CPG experience

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in packaging technology or engineering

Job description

Are you looking to catapult your career by driving high-impact transformation with household brands? Do you crave an entrepreneurial, fast paced and engaging growth assignment working with incredible people from across the globe?

At Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, we are excited to start a new chapter of accelerated growth as part of Froneri – a global pure-play ice cream leader. With nearly 100 years of winning experience in the U.S, a robust portfolio of powerhouse brands that consumers know and love such as Häagen-Dazs, Drumstick, Dreyer’s/Edy’s, Skinny Cow, OREO®, Outshine and Frollies, and the backing and coaching of European-based ice cream experts, we know we have the winning recipe.

Headquartered in Walnut Creek, the Bay Area’s hub for up-and-coming food trends, our DGIC team across our offices and factories is raising the bar on all things ice cream. Our growth has been tremendous in the past few years – moving from being #2 manufacturer in market to being #1 in 2024. The brands have strong investments in marketing support, quality improvements and exciting line extensions and innovation. DGIC has also been recognized by retail partners as the top manufacturer partner, winning the #1 position in the prestigious Advantage Award in 2024.

At DGIC, we don’t just hire for roles, we grow future business leaders. Here, everyone is encouraged to think like a general manager. That means owning your piece of the business, making bold decisions, and seeing the big picture. What makes us unique? You won’t just stay in your lane, you’ll get hands-on exposure to everything from Sales, Marketing and operations to Finance and Supply Chain. It’s like getting an MBA on the job (but with way more ice cream). If you’re curious, driven, and ready to learn a lot about a lot, this is the place to stretch your skills and fast-track your career.

Unleash your potential at Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream and discover what a sweet career we have in store for you!

What To Expect From Dreyer’s

At the heart of our culture are four core values that guide our actions and define how we work together. We Take Ownershipby staying committed from start to finish, making thoughtful decisions, and focusing our efforts on initiatives that drive growth, efficiency, and sustainability. We Do What Is Rightby prioritizing transparency, setting clear roles and responsibilities, and speaking up when something doesn’t align with our values. We Seek to Improvethrough continuous innovation, embracing feedback, and learning from both our successes and setbacks. AndWe Are Better Togetherby making decisions that benefit the whole organization, fostering inclusion through diverse perspectives, and treating everyone with fairness and respect. These values are not just ideals—they are the behaviors we live by every day.

Main Purpose Of The Job

This role provides technical direction, vision, guidance and people leadership to the packaging development team.

Manage and prioritize the packaging team’s resources to deliver on the assigned packaging project list.

Contributes to the creation of a packaging improvement, sourcing and sustainability strategy for the ice cream business to drive incremental operational performance, improved profitability while reducing the environmental impacts of DGIC packaging.

Works closely with the Marketing and Operations teams to ensure that packaging designs work for the factory, customers and consumers.

Works closely with the factories and the packaging equipment vendors to ensure that optimum packaging designs to guarantee high equipment performance.

ROLE AND ACTIVITY

• 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 and that all materials comply with food safety and internal company quality standards.
• 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. Perform and document the results of pallet transportation tests.
• Ensure that the artwork development process has the right quality of technical information (eg. technical packaging drawings, placement of 2D codes and “Best Before” date boxes, orientation, no-print areas etc.) to allow the creative services team to develop the graphics. Ensure that technical packaging data inputs are provided in a timely manner to avoid delays in the development timeline.
• 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 (eg. specifications, die-lines, pallet patterns, etc.) is organized, maintained and accessible.
  

MEASURABLE OUTCOMES

• Packaging projects are clearly defined with regular project meetings with timelines, minutes and agreed action plans.
• Ensure that packaging development tasks are included in the I&R critical path and that the packaging team fulfills the agreed upon tasks in the time allocated.
• Artwork development timelines are respected, and the quality of the technical packaging team’s input is correct.
• Packaging materials required for new equipment or new products are tested ahead of time and risks are mitigated. Trial and transport test reports are available and shared with the correct stakeholders.
• Identified packaging cost savings targets are achieved.
• Identified quality issues are addressed and alternative vendors are identified for materials that cause recurring operational issues.
• Development of a dynamic packaging team working together effectively.
• Formal and informal feedback to the packaging team demonstrates that effective team leadership takes place: specifically, clear objective setting and honest appraisals are completed on time and to a high standard.

LEVELS OF RESPONSIBILTY

• Leadership and organizational skills
• Motivation of team
• Attention to detail
• Technical and industry know how
• Effective communicator
• Team player

WHAT YOU BRING

• Bachelor’s degree in packaging technology or engineering
• 8+ years in packaging development (3+ in leadership) in CPG or food and beverage industry
• Experience with sustainable packaging materials and compliance with FDA/USDA or international food safety standards
• Strong leadership and team development skills
• Creative and analytical mindset—able to merge strategy with flawless execution.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and project management skills.

BEHAVIORS AND CORE VALUES

We Take Ownership

• Stay committed to responsibilities from start to finish
• Make sound decisions and get into the right level of detail
• Apply resources to initiatives that add growth, improve efficiencies, or reduce waste

We Do What Is Right

• Choose transparency over convenience, even if it means difficult conversations
• Set clear roles and responsibilities, enabling everyone to exercise appropriate initiative and judgment
• Speak up when you see something that does not align to our values and policies

We Seek to Improve

• Strive to continuously improve and innovate to exceed expectations
• Value feedback from others and encourage open dialogue to understand how we can improveLearn from both successes and failures

We Are Better Together

• Ensure decisions are based on what’s best for the whole business
• Practice inclusion by seeking diverse perspectives
• Treat everyone with fairness and respect

WORK ENVIRONENEMT

In this position, the employee will regularly work with and around others; in a wet and/or humid environment; in areas of high noise level; and around mechanical, electrical, and pressurized equipment. The work is fast paced. The position involves frequent exposure to tree-nuts and other potential allergens.

The pay scale for this role considers the wide range of factors that contribute to making compensation decisions, including but not limited to: skill set, experience and training, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational experiences. At Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. The pay range for prospective employees in this role is between $100,000 and $120,000 per year.

Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream Inc. provides equal employment opportunities for all applicants, regardless of race, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.