Packaging Engineer

Clark Associates; Lancaster (Lancaster County); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Clark Associates in Lancaster, PA is seeking a Packaging Engineer to design, develop, validate, and optimize packaging systems for new and existing products. This hands-on role involves prototyping in our design lab and identifying improvement opportunities in warehouses.

You will partner with Procurement, Quality, Compliance, and Supply Chain to meet performance, cost, and sustainability goals while ensuring GMP, FDA, ISO, ISTA standards are followed.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop structural packaging solutions for new and existing products
• Lead packaging development projects from concept through commercialization
• Design structural packaging using design software, then build and test physical prototypes in our design lab
• Plan and execute package validation testing, including drop, vibration, compression, transit, and distribution
• Evaluate packaging materials — plastics, paperboard, corrugated, labels, films, foams, or pulp molds — for functionality, quality, and cost-effectiveness
• Identify opportunities to cut shipping costs through DIM weight optimization and carrier-specific strategies
• Develop packaging specifications, drawings, and technical documentation
• Analyze carrier damage claims, return rates, and customer complaint data to identify root causes
• Track packaging KPIs — damage rate, cost per package, DIM savings, and complaint rate
• Ensure compliance with GMP, FDA, ISO, ASTM, and ISTA standards
• Partner with cross-functional teams—Engineering, Quality, Compliance, Operations, Procurement
• Work with Procurement and Global Sourcing to build the business case weighing costs against damage and customer experience

Job description

Job Summary

Clark Associates is a family of companies serving the foodservice industry through multiple distribution channels, including the industry-leading ecommerce platform WebstaurantStore.com, The Restaurant Store retail locations, and Clark National Accounts. As our catalog grows, we're expanding our engineering team by adding a Packaging Engineer to help lead that growth.

We're hiring a Packaging Engineer to design, develop, validate, and optimize packaging systems for new and existing products. This is a hands-on role: you'll spend time in our design lab prototyping and testing packaging, and in our warehouses identifying opportunities for improvement. You'll partner closely with Procurement, Quality, Compliance, and Supply Chain to ensure packaging meets performance, compliance, cost, and sustainability requirements.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop structural packaging solutions for new and existing products
• Lead packaging development projects from concept through commercialization
• Design structural packaging using design software, then build and test physical prototypes in our design lab
• Plan and execute package validation testing, including drop, vibration, compression, transit, and distribution for new and existing products
• Evaluate packaging materials — plastics, paperboard, corrugated, labels, films, foams, or pulp molds — for functionality, quality, and cost-effectiveness
• Identify opportunities to cut shipping costs through DIM weight optimization and carrier-specific packaging strategies to minimize dimensional weight fees and in-transit damage across our delivery partners
• Develop packaging specifications, drawings, and technical documentation
• Analyze carrier damage claims, return rates, and customer complaint data to identify root causes and prioritize corrective actions for packaging-related issues
• Track key packaging KPIs — damage rate, cost per package, DIM savings, and complaint rate — to measure program effectiveness and guide priorities
• Ensure compliance with GMP, FDA, ISO, ASTM, and ISTA standards
• Partner with cross-functional teams including Engineering, Quality, Compliance, Operations, and Procurement — including developing packaging SOPs, training DC staff, and auditing adherence across facilities
• Work with Procurement and Global Sourcing to build the business case weighing the cost of packaging improvements against damage costs, customer experience, and other impacts