Packaging Engineer: Design, Validation & Waste Reduction

Smalley Steel Ring Company; Lake Zurich (IL); On-site; USD 95,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

401(k) match

Tuition Reimbursement

PTO

Job summary

Smalley Steel Ring Company is seeking a Packaging Engineer to design, validate, and standardize packaging solutions that protect products and meet customer requirements. You will work with Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain to integrate packaging into product design and launches while supporting efficient operations.

The role requires a Bachelor's in Packaging or related field and 3+ years' experience, with strong analytical, communication, and project management skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Packaging Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related field.
• 3+ years of experience in packaging engineering, packaging design, manufacturing, or a related field.
• Experience developing packaging specifications and validating packaging performance.
• Knowledge of corrugated packaging, palletization, product protection, and transportation packaging systems.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and project management skills.
• Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and the ability to learn ERP and related business systems.

Responsibilities

• Design and maintain packaging specifications, standards, and documentation for products and shipments.
• Ensure packaging solutions comply with applicable regulatory requirements (DOT, CPSC, PPWR) and other customer packaging requirements.
• Collaborate with Engineering and Product Development to incorporate packaging requirements during design and launch.
• Review customer packaging specifications and translate into internal standards and processes.
• Develop and standardize packaging configurations (inner/ Master/ pallet) to support sales and distribution.
• Evaluate materials, carton designs, dunnage, palletization, and shipment configurations for protection and efficiency.
• Lead packaging redesigns to improve standardization, sustainability, quality, and cost.
• Coordinate packaging testing, validation, and performance evaluations.
• Investigate packaging failures and implement corrective actions and improvements.
• Analyze packaging performance and costs to identify optimization opportunities.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives focused on packaging optimization and waste reduction.

Skills

Analytical skills

Problem-solving

Project management

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Packaging Engineering or related field

Tools

Microsoft Office

ERP systems

Job description

Smalley Steel Ring Company is seeking a Packaging Engineer to design, validate, and standardize packaging solutions that protect products and meet customer requirements. You will work with Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain to integrate packaging into product design and launches while supporting efficient operations.

The role requires a Bachelor's in Packaging or related field and 3+ years' experience, with strong analytical, communication, and project management skills.