Packaging QFD Leader – Quality in Design (Hybrid)

Danone North America, LLC; California; Hybrid; USD 111,000 - 159,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Performance-based bonus

Medical, Dental, Vision, Prescription,

401k Plan

Tuition Reimbursement

Flexible Time Off

Paid Parental Bonding Leave

Job summary

Danone North America, LLC is seeking a Senior Manager, Quality in Design (Packaging) to lead packaging quality by design, ensure food safety, regulatory compliance, and consumer satisfaction across development and commercialization stages.

This hybrid role collaborates across QFS, Packaging R&I, Product Development, Manufacturing, Procurement, Sustainability, Regulatory Affairs, PMO, and Engineering to mitigate design risks and enable first-time-right launches.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Packaging Engineering, Food Science, or related discipline; advanced degree preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in packaging quality, packaging development, quality systems, or related fields.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams and influencing senior stakeholders.
• Experience with packaging supplier management and qualification.

Responsibilities

• Lead packaging QFD leadership for innovation, renovation, productivity, and sustainability projects.
• Ensure packaging solutions meet food safety, quality, regulatory, operational, and consumer requirements.
• Drive early identification and mitigation of packaging-related quality and food safety risks during development.
• Provide technical leadership during stage-gate reviews and commercialization activities.
• Establish Quality in Design principles within packaging development and deployment processes.
• Lead packaging risk assessments related to Food contact compliance, packaging integrity, shelf-life, migration, tamper evidence, product protection, distribution, and consumer use.
• Develop and approve packaging control strategies and validation requirements.
• Develop and maintain packaging-related quality standards and specifications.
• Monitor emerging risks, industry trends, and new regulatory requirements impacting packaging.
• Partner with Packaging R&I to support New product development, packaging innovation, sustainability initiatives, productivity programs, reformulations and renovations.
• Ensure robust qualification and validation plans are executed before launch.
• Support industrial trials, first production runs, and commercialization activities.
• Lead quality reviews of packaging changes and assess business impact.
• Collaborate with Supplier Quality and Procurement to ensure supplier qualification, approval, and improvement.
• Support development of packaging material specifications and acceptance criteria.
• Ensure compliance with regulations and Global Danone packaging standards.
• Partner with Regulatory Affairs on packaging claims, labeling interfaces, and compliance requirements.
• Support internal and external audits involving packaging systems and controls.
• Provide QFS leadership for sustainability projects; assess risks with new sustainable packaging technologies; ensure sustainability objectives are achieved without compromising quality.

Skills

Cross-functional leadership

Packaging Quality by Design

Food-contact regulations

Packaging validation

Sustainable packaging

Root cause analysis

GMP/HACCP/SQF

Data analysis

Hands-on support

Education

Bachelor's degree in Packaging Engineering or related

10+ years in packaging quality/ development

Tools

Packaging supplier management

Quality systems (SQF, FSSC)

Job description

Danone North America, LLC is seeking a Senior Manager, Quality in Design (Packaging) to lead packaging quality by design, ensure food safety, regulatory compliance, and consumer satisfaction across development and commercialization stages.

This hybrid role collaborates across QFS, Packaging R&I, Product Development, Manufacturing, Procurement, Sustainability, Regulatory Affairs, PMO, and Engineering to mitigate design risks and enable first-time-right launches.