Packaging Equipment Specialist

Millcraft; Nashville (TN); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Millcraft is seeking an experienced Packaging Equipment Specialist to help customers improve packaging productivity, labor utilization, throughput, and total cost through effective application of packaging machinery and automation.

The ideal candidate will understand packaging equipment and consumables, walk production floors to identify automation opportunities, and translate those opportunities into practical, measurable value for customers. Travel within the territory will be required.

Qualifications

• Five+ years of experience with packaging machinery, automation, or related industrial equipment.
• Strong knowledge of packaging processes and equipment.
• Ability to evaluate customer operations and recommend practical improvements.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to travel regularly within the assigned market.

Responsibilities

• Conduct on-site evaluations of customer operations to identify automation and productivity opportunities.
• Develop equipment recommendations based on production requirements and space.
• Coordinate demonstrations, trials, and site surveys.
• Support ROI analyses and proposals for customers.
• Maintain project timelines and customer expectations across installation and startup.

Skills

Packaging machinery

Technical sales

Project management

Communication skills

Problem solving

Travel willingness

CRM proficiency

Education

Engineering degree or related field

Tools

CRM systems

MS Office

Job description

This is a technical-commercial equipment role, not a traditional field service technician position.

Millcraft is seeking an experienced Packaging Equipment Specialist to help customers improve packaging productivity, labor utilization, throughput, consistency, and total cost through the effective application of packaging machinery and automation.

This role serves as the technical and commercial equipment resource for Millcraft's sales organization and customers. The Packaging Equipment Specialist will work alongside Account Managers to identify equipment opportunities, evaluate customer packaging operations, develop solutions, coordinate equipment demonstrations and trials, support proposals and return-on-investment justification, and manage projects from initial discovery through installation and startup.

The ideal candidate understands both packaging equipment and the consumable materials that run through it. This individual should be comfortable walking a production floor, identifying opportunities for automation or process improvement, and translating those opportunities into practical solutions that generate measurable value for the customer.

Target Candidate Background

Target candidates should come from environments where packaging machinery, materials, automation, and customer applications intersect. Priority backgrounds include:

• Packaging distributors with dedicated equipment, automation, or systems-selling capabilities.
• Packaging machinery OEMs serving manufacturing, distribution, fulfillment, food, consumer products, automotive, or industrial markets.
• End-of-line automation integrators and material-handling system providers.
• Technical sales, applications engineering, project management, or territory roles involving case erecting and sealing, stretch wrapping, shrink systems, strapping, protective packaging, void fill, labeling, coding and marking, automated bagging, conveyors, palletizing, or related technologies.
• Professionals who have supported equipment projects from discovery and specification through proposal, installation, training, and startup.
• Candidates with established relationships among packaging equipment manufacturers, integrators, service providers, and industrial end users.

Key Responsibilities

Customer and Application Development

• Conduct on-site evaluations of customer packaging operations to identify opportunities for automation, productivity improvement, labor reduction, material optimization, ergonomic improvement, and cost savings.
• Evaluate existing packaging processes, equipment, line speeds, labor requirements, bottlenecks, material usage, and workflow.
• Develop equipment recommendations based on the customer application, production requirements, available space, budget, and operational objectives.
• Function as a technical resource to Millcraft Account Managers throughout the equipment sales process.
• Help customers evaluate total solution economics, including capital investment, consumable usage, labor savings, throughput improvement, maintenance requirements, and expected return on investment.
• Identify opportunities where equipment can create or strengthen long-term consumable packaging relationships for Millcraft.

Packaging Equipment and Automation

Provide application expertise across equipment categories that may include:

• Case erecting and case sealing
• Stretch wrapping and stretch-film systems
• Shrink wrapping and shrink bundling
• Strapping systems
• Protective packaging, cushioning, void-fill, paper, air, and foam systems
• Automated bagging
• Tape and adhesive application
• Labeling and label application
• Coding, marking, and printing equipment
• Palletizing and end-of-line automation
• Conveyors and material handling
• Semi-automated and fully automated packaging lines
• Maintain knowledge of emerging packaging technologies and identify solutions applicable to Millcraft's target markets.

Project Management and Implementation

• Coordinate equipment opportunities from initial discovery through quotation, equipment selection, order placement, installation, training, and startup.
• Work with equipment manufacturers, integrators, suppliers, Account Managers, operations personnel, and customers to establish project requirements and timelines.
• Coordinate demonstrations, sample testing, trials, site surveys, and equipment evaluations.
• Develop equipment specifications and ensure proposed systems meet customer operating requirements.
• Assist with layout considerations, workflow, utilities, compressed air, electrical requirements, guarding, and other installation considerations.
• Support equipment commissioning and customer operator training in coordination with manufacturers and technical partners.
• Maintain communication throughout the project to ensure commitments, timelines, and customer expectations are met.

Commercial Support

• Partner with Account Managers to develop equipment opportunities within existing and prospective accounts.
• Participate in customer presentations and technical discovery meetings.
• Assist with preparation of equipment quotations, proposals, cost analyses, and ROI models.
• Help develop opportunities in which equipment placement drives recurring packaging material sales.
• Work with Millcraft supplier partners to identify the most appropriate technology rather than forcing a predetermined solution.
• Support strategic account opportunities requiring package automation or technical expertise.
• Maintain opportunity and project information within Millcraft CRM and sales processes.

Required Qualifications

• Five or more years of experience with packaging machinery, packaging automation, industrial equipment, systems integration, field applications, technical sales, or a closely related discipline.
• Working knowledge of industrial packaging equipment and automated or semi-automated packaging processes.
• Ability to evaluate a customer packaging operation and recommend practical equipment and process improvements.
• Strong mechanical and technical aptitude.
• Experience working in manufacturing, distribution, fulfillment, warehousing, or industrial production environments.
• Ability to understand basic equipment specifications, line layouts, electrical requirements, compressed-air requirements, throughput requirements, and application limitations.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to troubleshoot applications and develop alternative solutions.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively with plant personnel, engineers, operators, maintenance teams, purchasing professionals, operations leaders, and executive decision-makers.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and opportunities simultaneously.
• Ability and willingness to travel regularly within the assigned market and to customer, supplier, and manufacturer locations.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and CRM systems.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working for a packaging distributor, packaging equipment manufacturer, systems integrator, or industrial automation company.
• Experience with equipment involving case handling, stretch wrapping, shrink, strapping, protective packaging, void fill, coding and marking, labeling, bagging, or end-of-line automation.
• Experience developing equipment ROI and labor-savings analyses.
• Familiarity with corrugated, tape, stretch film, shrink film, strapping, labels, protective packaging, cushioning, and other industrial packaging consumables.
• Experience helping commercial sales teams identify, qualify, and close packaging equipment opportunities.
• Bachelor's or associate degree in engineering, engineering technology, packaging, industrial technology, business, or a related discipline is preferred. Equivalent packaging equipment experience will be strongly considered.

What Success Looks Like

Success in this role is not measured simply by selling machines. The Packaging Equipment Specialist creates profitable, long-term customer solutions.

The successful candidate will:

• Build a qualified pipeline of packaging equipment and automation opportunities.
• Increase the number of Millcraft customers using equipment-supported packaging programs.
• Help Account Managers uncover opportunities they could not effectively pursue without technical equipment expertise.
• Deliver solutions that demonstrate measurable improvements in labor, throughput, material utilization, uptime, safety, or overall packaging cost.
• Convert appropriate equipment projects into sustainable recurring consumable revenue.
• Develop strong relationships with key equipment manufacturers and technology partners.
• Establish Millcraft as a credible provider of complete packaging solutions encompassing materials, equipment, automation, and technical expertise.

Ideal Candidate Profile

We are looking for someone who can walk into a customer's packaging operation and quickly begin asking the right questions:

What is being packaged? How fast? How many people touch it? Where are the bottlenecks? What is being done manually today? What does downtime cost? What materials are being consumed? Could the process be automated? What is the financial return if we change it?

The right candidate combines technical curiosity with commercial judgment. This individual does not just know packaging machinery. The candidate understands how to use equipment, materials, automation, and process improvement together to solve customer problems and create long-term value.