Packaging Engineer - Wet Business

Westrock Coffee Company; Conway (AR); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Westrock Coffee Company is seeking an experienced Packaging Engineer to lead packaging development for its Wet Business. The role covers cans, glass, and PET bottles, using material science and high-speed filling knowledge to ensure shelf stability and regulatory compliance.

The candidate will collaborate with product development, QA, supply chain, and production, manage suppliers, and drive scale-up from prototype to production with a focus on cost-effectiveness and performance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Packaging Engineering, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, or related field.
• Minimum of 10 years in packaging engineering for cans, glass, and PET formats.
• Experience in packaging design, material qualification, and manufacturing support.
• Strong knowledge of can seaming, glass filling, PET stretch blow molding, closures, and sealing tech.
• Familiarity with high-speed beverage packaging machinery, quality systems (SPC, FMEA, PPAP).
• Excellent problem-solving, detail orientation, and cross-functional communication.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop primary packaging for Wet Business: cans, glass, and PET bottles.
• Select materials, test substrates, and define closures and labels.
• Develop and maintain specifications for packaging components.
• Improve designs for cost, performance, and manufacturability.
• Scale from prototype to full production across canning, bottling, and PET lines.
• Collaborate with Product Dev, QA, Supply Chain, and Production; manage suppliers.

Skills

Packaging design

Material science

Cross-functional collaboration

Problem solving

Attention to detail

Project management

Communication

Education

Bachelor's in Packaging Engineering

Materials Science or Mechanical Eng

Tools

CAD software

Packaging design tools

Can seaming knowledge

Glass filling/capping knowledge

PET packaging tech

Job description

Westrock Coffee is a vertically integrated coffee and beverage company, recognized for high-quality products and innovative packaging solutions across both liquid and dry formats. Our Wet Business encompasses a growing portfolio of ready-to-drink coffee and beverage products across canned, glass bottle, and PET multiserve formats requiring world-class packaging execution. We are seeking an experienced Packaging Engineer to join our team and lead packaging development across these rigid and semi-rigid beverage formats.

Position Overview

The Packaging Engineer -- Wet Business will be responsible for the design, development, and implementation of primary packaging solutions for Westrock Coffee's wet beverage segment. This role covers three primary packaging formats: aluminum cans, glass bottles, and PET multiserve bottles. The engineer will apply deep knowledge of material science, filling and closure technologies, and high-speed beverage manufacturing processes to deliver packaging that preserves product quality and shelf stability and meets quality and regulatory standards.

Key Responsibilities

Packaging Design & Development

• Design and develop primary packaging solutions for the Wet Business, including aluminum cans, glass bottles, and PET multiserve bottles, ensuring product integrity and shelf stability.
• Conduct material selection and testing to identify optimal can substrates, glass formulations, PET resins, and closure systems for beverage applications, balancing performance and cost.
• Develop and maintain detailed specifications for cans, glass bottles, PET bottles, closures, labels, and related components.
• Evaluate and improve existing packaging designs for cost-effectiveness, performance, and manufacturability.
• Participate in the scale-up process from prototype to full production, ensuring smooth transitions and minimal disruption to operations across canning, bottling, and PET filling lines.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Supplier Management

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including Product Development, Quality Assurance, Supply Chain, and Production to bring new packaging designs to market efficiently.
• Work closely with can suppliers, glass manufacturers, PET converters, and closure/label suppliers to ensure high-quality materials, on-time delivery, and compliance with Westrock Coffee specifications.
• Troubleshoot and resolve packaging-related issues arising in the production process, including seam integrity, glass defects, PET bottle performance, closure torque, and label application.
• Stay current with industry trends, technologies, and regulations related to can, glass, and PET beverage packaging and food contact materials.

Requisition Number

6968

Shift

First

Qualification

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Packaging Engineering, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in packaging engineering, with hands-on experience across aluminum cans, glass bottles, and PET multiserve bottle formats.
• Demonstrated experience in packaging design, material qualification, and manufacturing process support within beverage, food, or consumer goods industries.
• Strong knowledge of can seaming, glass bottle filling and capping, PET stretch blow molding, closure systems, and beverage line sealing technologies.
• Familiarity with high-speed beverage packaging machinery, converting processes, and quality management systems (e.g., SPC, FMEA, PPAP).
• Excellent problem-solving skills and attention to detail.
• Strong project management and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Effective communicator with the ability to work cross-functionally and with external suppliers.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with hot-fill, cold-fill, aseptic, or retort processing for ready-to-drink coffee and beverage products.
• Familiarity with can lining/coating technologies, glass lightweighting, and PET barrier enhancement for shelf-stable beverages.
• Knowledge of food safety standards and regulations pertaining to food contact packaging materials (e.g., FDA, EU food contact regulations).
• Proficiency with CAD software and packaging design tools.
• Certified Packaging Professional (CPP) or similar credential is a plus.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package.
• Opportunities for professional growth and development within a vertically integrated organization.
• A collaborative and innovative work environment committed to quality and continuous improvement.
• The opportunity to shape packaging strategy for a growing Wet Business portfolio within a dynamic coffee company.

We endeavor to make this site accessible to any and all users. If you would like to contact us regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please contact Human Resources at 1-800-933-2210.

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