Sr Manager, R&D - Packaging Materials

Kraft Heinz; Glenview (IL); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Kraft Heinz, Inc. is seeking a senior packaging technology leader to drive a portfolio of complex plastic packaging initiatives. You will define tech strategy, manage external partnerships, and ensure PBS-grade designs meet sustainability, regulatory, and manufacturing requirements.

The role requires strong program management, cross-functional collaboration, and hands-on leadership of a diverse technical team to deliver innovative, compliant packaging solutions at scale.

Qualifications

• BS/MS/PhD in Engineering, Materials, Chemical or Packaging Engineering preferred or related discipline.
• Proven experience leading complex packaging technology initiatives and cross-functional teams.
• Strong knowledge of materials, polymers, coatings and manufacturing constraints.

Responsibilities

• Lead and prioritize a portfolio of complex plastic packaging technology strategies and initiatives.
• Build, coordinate and manage relationships with suppliers, technology providers and external partners.
• Identify material and packaging technology solutions aligned with sustainability goals and regulatory requirements.
• Deliver packaging designs to PBS ensuring functionality, quality, shelf-life and manufacturability.
• Provide technical leadership on packaging reviews, governance, and stakeholder alignment.
• Own budgets, resourcing, schedules and risk management for portfolio projects.

Skills

Technology strategy

Leadership & governance

PMO / project management

Budget management

Supplier partnerships

IP strategy

Cross-functional leadership

Design of experiments

Communication skills

Education

BS/MS/PhD in Engineering/Packaging

Job description

Lead and prioritize a portfolio of complex plastic packaging technology strategies and initiatives, including balancing technology exploration with proof of concept of novel technologies and managing complex partnerships across the value chain, demonstrating value and business case for technology applications.

Build, coordinate and manage relationships and partnerships with suppliers and technology providers (e.g., resin, coating and other material suppliers and packaging manufacturers) and external partners (e.g., universities, institutes, start-ups, open innovation networks).

Identify material/polymer/packaging technology solutions that avoid material bans and regulatory risks.

Advance recyclable, reusable, and compliant plastic packaging formats aligned with enterprise sustainability goals and legislative requirements.

Deliver packaging designs to Performance-Based Specifications (PBS), ensuring solutions meet defined functionality, quality, shelf-life, consumer experience, and manufacturing performance outcomes (rather than prescriptive designs).

Provide technical leadership and oversight on packaging reviews, ensuring design decisions align with enterprise standards, manufacturability, sustainability, and long-term platform strategy.

Own project and portfolio-level budgets, resourcing strategies and capacity planning, ensuring delivery within approved financial guardrails; develop and maintain project plans, schedules, budgets, and resource allocations; monitor progress, assess risk, and proactively upscale tradeoffs.

Serve as an accountable owner for governance, escalation and go/no-go decisions; represent packaging steering forums and influence stakeholders.

Act as technical expert for junior developers and direct team to flex onto projects requiring problem solving.

Partner with legal to build robust IP strategies; conduct exploration to build an IP portfolio to drive competitive advantage.

Mentor, coach and train junior project team members and contribute to PMO best practices and templates.

Build and sustain a high-performing technical team; manage, coach, mentor and retain employees, including goal setting, performance management, salary planning and hiring.

Build strong succession and upskilling plans for junior talent, maximizing apprenticeship with more senior/experienced team members.

Team (salaried): targeting 3 direct reports Deliver technology strategy and prioritize a portfolio of complex plastic packaging technology/format initiatives to deliver against sustainability, innovation and value engineering initiatives.

Ensure full compliance with evolving sustainability and regulatory requirements for portfolio projects, including:

• Designing packaging solutions that avoid material bans and regulatory risks Deliver packaging designs to PBS, ensuring solutions meet defined functional, quality, shelf-life, consumer experience, and manufacturing performance outcomes.

BS/MS/PhD degree in Engineering, Materials, Chemical or Packaging Engineering preferred or related discipline.

Minimum 8 years of R&D technology development and commercialization experience in packaging and project leadership experience (consumer goods, food & beverage, pharma or similar preferred).

Demonstrated experience managing end-to-end development projects, identifying and driving packaging technology initiatives, leading external partnerships, and coordinating cross-functional teams.

Demonstrated experience in people management.

Strong technical knowledge of materials (polymers, coatings and additives, etc.) and manufacturing constraints including converting processes (e.g., forming, filling, labeling, injection molding, blow molding, thermoforming, extrusion, lamination), bottle closure and dispensing systems.

Proven project management/PMO skills; experience with governance, risk management, budget management, and stakeholder reporting.

Expert knowledge of design of experiments and statistics; strong technical problem solving.

Excellent communication, negotiation and interpersonal skills; ability to influence at all levels.

Previous experience leading complex, multisite or global packaging or technology launches.

Expert knowledge of sustainable packaging solutions, material/package industry standards and regulations.

Experience with pilot line setups and scale-up to industrial production.

Willingness and ability to travel up to 25% of the time.