Packaging Engineer

FPC National; City of White Plains (NY); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

FPC National seeks a packaging engineer to drive development and optimization across wellness and beauty brands. You will maintain packaging specs, BOMs, and testing docs while leading qualification activities and supporting scale-up at co-manufacturers.

The role emphasizes sustainability, material reduction, and recyclability, working with Product Development, Procurement, Quality, and Suppliers to meet regulatory and cost targets.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Packaging Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Industrial Engineering, or related technical discipline.
• 1–5 years of packaging engineering and/or packaging procurement experience within beauty, personal care, cosmetics, fragrance, or consumer packaged goods.
• Strong understanding of packaging materials including plastics, glass, corrugate, flexible packaging, labels, closures, and dispensing systems.
• Experience creating and managing technical packaging specifications and testing protocols.
• Knowledge of sustainable packaging principles, recyclability, PCR materials, and material compatibility.
• Familiarity with packaging manufacturing processes including injection molding, blow molding, decoration, and filling operations.
• Experience working with suppliers and contract manufacturers.
• Strong analytical, project management, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills in a cross-functional environment.

Responsibilities

• Packaging development and technical specifications for primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging components.
• Develop, maintain, and manage BOMs, packaging drawings, palletization specs, and testing documentation.
• Lead packaging qualification and validation activities (compatibility, transit, drop, compression, leak, stability).
• Support commercialization and scale-up from concept to production launch at co-manufacturers.
• Ensure packaging meets manufacturing, filling line, transportation, and retailer requirements.
• Troubleshoot packaging-related technical issues during production and recommend corrective actions.
• Collaborate with suppliers and manufacturing partners on tooling, artwork, and specification accuracy.
• Drive sustainability initiatives: lightweighting, recyclability, PCR integration, mono-material design, and material reduction.
• Evaluate new sustainable technologies for performance, cost, and scalability.
• Support lifecycle analysis, EPR reporting, and alignment with retailer sustainability scorecards.

Skills

Packaging Engineering

Materials Science

Sustainability

Project Management

Technical Documentation

Supplier Collaboration

Regulatory Knowledge

MS Office

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Packaging Eng or related

Job description

Function Overview:

The position supports packaging innovation across their entire portfolio of wellness and personal care brands, balancing priorities across brands to maximize growth.

Responsible for developing and maintaining packaging specifications while driving initiatives that improve the sustainability, performance, and manufacturability of the packaging portfolio. This role partners closely with Product Development, Procurement, Quality, Operations, and suppliers to deliver innovative packaging solutions that meet technical, regulatory, cost, and environmental objectives across multiple beauty and wellness brands.

Key Responsibilities:

• Packaging Development & Technical Specifications
• Develop, maintain, and manage detailed packaging specifications for primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging components.
• Collect and update Bills of Materials (BOMs), packaging drawings, palletization specifications, and testing documentation.
• Lead direction of packaging qualification and validation activities, including compatibility, transit, drop, compression, leak, and stability testing.
• Support commercialization and scale-up activities from concept through production launch at co-manufacturers.
• Ensure packaging meets manufacturing, filling line, transportation, and retailer requirements.
• Troubleshoot packaging-related technical issues during production and recommend corrective actions.
• Work with software and systems developers to digest and integrate collected information using AI
• Collaborate with suppliers and manufacturing partners on tooling, artwork execution, and specification accuracy.
• Sustainability & Packaging Optimization
• Drive initiatives focused on reducing environmental impact through lightweighting, recyclability, PCR integration, mono-material design, and material reduction.
• Evaluate emerging sustainable packaging technologies and materials for performance, compatibility, cost, and scalability.
• Partner with procurement and suppliers to identify sustainable alternatives that align with brand aesthetics and operational capabilities.
• Support lifecycle analysis (LCA) efforts and EPR sustainability reporting initiatives.
• Ensure packaging solutions align with retailer sustainability scorecards and evolving industry regulations.
• Recommend packaging improvements that optimize cost, transportation efficiency, and carbon footprint without compromising product quality or consumer experience. Sustainable packaging practices increasingly focus on lifecycle assessment, material reduction, recyclability, and supply chain optimization.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Work closely with Marketing, Product Development, Sales, and Operations teams to translate brand vision into manufacturable packaging solutions.
• Collaborate with Quality and Regulatory teams to ensure compliance with cosmetic packaging standards and global regulations.
• Manage timelines and deliverables across multiple concurrent packaging projects.
• Support vendor qualification, packaging line trials, and production startup activities.
• Present technical recommendations and project updates to internal stakeholders.
• Monitor industry trends, competitive packaging innovations, and sustainability advancements in beauty and personal care packaging.
• Identify and develop opportunities for process improvement, packaging standardization, and specification management efficiency – specifically AI to record and manage and report on packaging usage across the company.
• Contribute to innovation initiatives that enhance consumer usability, shelf impact, and sustainability performance.
• Bachelor’s degree in Packaging Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Industrial Engineering, or related technical discipline.
• 1–5 years of packaging engineering and/or packaging procurement experience within beauty, personal care, cosmetics, fragrance, or consumer packaged goods.
• Strong understanding of packaging materials including plastics, glass, corrugate, flexible packaging, labels, closures, and dispensing systems.
• Experience creating and managing technical packaging specifications and testing protocols.
• Knowledge of sustainable packaging principles, recyclability, PCR materials, and material compatibility.
• Familiarity with packaging manufacturing processes including injection molding, blow molding, decoration, and filling operations.
• Experience working with suppliers and contract manufacturers.
• Strong analytical, project management, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills in a cross-functional environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and packaging specification/documentation systems

Personality Profile:

• Sense of ownership and accountability
• Self-directed/motivated
• Flexible and adaptable
• Willingness to roll up sleeves in order to ensure excellence in execution
• Passion for the company and its mission
• Disciplined thinker
• Confident but with a sense of humor
• Practical – treats company’s resources as their own