Senior Packaging Engineer

ALKU; Princeton (NJ); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

ALKU in New Jersey seeks a Senior Packaging Engineer to lead packaging development from concept to commercialization, supporting launches, cost savings, and sustainability goals. You will work cross-functionally with Product Development, Operations, Quality, Procurement, Regulatory, and suppliers.

The role requires hands-on leadership of packaging programs across rigid plastics, flexible pouches, tubes, and pump/aerosol formats, plus mentoring engineers and driving packaging specs, testing, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Packaging Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field.
• 7+ years of packaging development experience in consumer products or related industries.
• Experience with rigid plastic packaging (e.g., bottle caps), flexible pouches, tube packaging, and trigger pump/aerosol packaging.
• Strong knowledge of packaging materials, manufacturing processes, and package testing.
• Proven track record of leading cross-functional projects from concept through launch.
• Excellent communication, project management, and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging development projects.
• Manage packaging qualification, testing, and commercialization activities.
• Support manufacturing trials, startup activities, and packaging issue resolution.
• Develop packaging specifications and technical documentation.
• Drive cost savings, productivity, and sustainability initiatives.
• Collaborate with suppliers on packaging development and qualification.
• Mentor junior engineers and provide technical guidance across teams.

Skills

Packaging development experience

Cross-functional collaboration

Project management

Communication

Mentoring juniors

Education

Bachelor's degree in Packaging Engineering or related field

Job description

The Senior Packaging Engineer will lead packaging development projects from concept through commercialization, supporting new product launches, package improvements, supplier qualifications, and cost savings initiatives. This role serves as a technical leader, working cross-functionally with Product Development, Operations, Quality, Procurement, Regulatory, and external suppliers to deliver packaging solutions that meet performance, quality, cost, and sustainability objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging development projects.
• Manage packaging qualification, testing, and commercialization activities.
• Support manufacturing trials, startup activities, and packaging issue resolution.
• Develop packaging specifications and technical documentation.
• Drive cost savings, productivity, and sustainability initiatives.
• Collaborate with suppliers on packaging development and qualification.
• Mentor junior engineers and provide technical guidance across teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Packaging Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field.
• 7+ years of packaging development experience, preferably in consumer products or related industries.
• Experience with rigid plastic packaging (e.g., bottle caps), flexible pouches, tube packaging, and trigger pump/aerosol packaging
• Comfortable working across a variety of package types rather than one specialty
• Additional experience with corrugate, labels, and shrink sleeves is a plus
• Strong knowledge of packaging materials, manufacturing processes, and package testing.
• Proven track record of leading cross-functional projects from concept through launch.
• Excellent communication, project management, and problem-solving skills.