Packaging Engineer: Innovation, Validation & Scale-Up

John Paul Mitchell Systems; Santa Clarita (CA); On-site; USD 115,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discretionary bonus plan

Comprehensive benefits package

Job summary

John Paul Mitchell Systems is seeking a Packaging Engineer to own testing, validation, and release readiness for our cosmetic packaging. You will lead risk assessments, coordinate external labs, and ensure GMP-compliant processes across materials, tooling, and suppliers.

The role emphasizes innovation in materials, formats, dispensing solutions, and sustainability, with direct collaboration across R&D, Regulatory, and Operations to support multi-market compliance and cost optimization.

Qualifications

• Hands-on expertise in packaging testing, validation, and scale-up.
• Tooling and mold qualification.
• Supplier qualification and audits.
• Contract manufacturer technical support and commercialization.
• Working knowledge of GMP, quality systems, and global packaging compliance.
• Technical judgment and risk-based decision making.
• Strong root-cause problem solving.
• Value engineering and cost-optimization mindset.
• Project and documentation discipline.
• Clear cross-functional communication, with the ability to operate independently while partnering effectively.

Responsibilities

• Own the packaging testing framework from development through commercialization (compatibility, stability, leak, drop, vibration, torque, transit, weight-claim, headspace, stress-cracking, deco, and dispensing testing).
• Lead early-stage risk assessments for feasibility, compatibility, filling, and scale-up, and serve as primary technical contact for external testing labs.
• Maintain testing documentation, approvals, and release-readiness criteria in partnership with Quality.
• Drive packaging innovation including new materials, formats, and dispensing solutions that improve performance, consumer experience, and cost.
• Engineer and qualify new and alternative materials (including PCR / biobased) and lightweighting changes, ensuring each is technically validated and production-ready.
• Provide the technical validation, specifications, and test data needed to support Regulatory’s sustainability, EPR, and multi-market compliance obligations.
• Qualify packaging vendors, components, molds, and tooling prior to scale-up, including GMP, EPR, and technical audits; approve drawings, specifications, and tolerances.
• Serve as primary investigator for packaging non-conformances, partnering with Quality, the packaging vendor, and Operations on root cause, corrective action, and disposition; participate in recall committees when packaging is implicated.
• Support secondary supplier/tooling approvals, change control, SOPs, and continuous improvement.
• Support CM readiness (tooling, line capability, packaging execution) and define optimal pallet patterns, shipper strength, dimensions, and logistics performance with Operations.
• Maintain CAPE data, BOM accuracy, and Fill & Assembly documentation, and provide packaging guidance to Shipping and Warehousing.
• Partner with R&D and Marketing to validate dispensing, dosing, and ease of use, ensuring packaging supports claims and intended consumer outcomes

Skills

Packaging testing

Tooling qualification

Supplier qualification

Contract manufacturer support

GMP knowledge

Root-cause analysis

Value engineering

Documentation discipline

Cross-functional communication

Education

High school diploma or GED

Bachelor’s degree in Packaging Engineering or related field

Job description

John Paul Mitchell Systems is seeking a Packaging Engineer to own testing, validation, and release readiness for our cosmetic packaging. You will lead risk assessments, coordinate external labs, and ensure GMP-compliant processes across materials, tooling, and suppliers.

The role emphasizes innovation in materials, formats, dispensing solutions, and sustainability, with direct collaboration across R&D, Regulatory, and Operations to support multi-market compliance and cost optimization.