Director of Development & Engineering

Director of Package Development & Engineering

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The Director of Package Development & Engineering leads the creation of innovative, premium packaging solutions that meet the highest standards of technical performance, aesthetic precision, and consumer experience. This role requires a blend of deep technical expertise and strong project management capability to deliver packaging that operates flawlessly while reinforcing the elevated expectations of a prestige hair care brand. The Director will lead a team of engineers and developers responsible for end‑to‑end packaging development—from concept to full‑scale commercialization.

Working closely with cross‑functional partners including Marketing, Product Development, Operations, Quality, Creative, and external suppliers, this role ensures all packaging initiatives align with the company’s innovation roadmap, sustainability goals, operational requirements, and brand vision.

• Lead end‑to‑end development and commercialization of all packaging components across categories and brand portfolio.
• Ensure packaging meets requirements for performance, compatibility, safety, quality, manufacturability, and supply chain efficiency.
• Provide deep technical expertise across materials science, molding and forming technologies, aerosol and dispensing systems, and structural package engineering.
• Establish and maintain technical standards, development methodologies and industry best practices.
• Manage and develop the Packaging Development & Engineering team, fostering a high‑performance culture with strong technical capability.
• Set project priorities and KPIs, allocate resources, and drive disciplined project execution.
• Promote collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement within the team.
• Build and execute a multi‑year packaging innovation roadmap in partnership with Marketing, Product Development, Creative, and Product Insights.
• Evaluate emerging materials, technologies, and packaging formats to enhance consumer experience, product performance, sustainability, and brand differentiation.
• Drive concepting, prototyping, testing, and validation throughout the design and development process.
• Partner with R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Quality, Regulatory, Procurement, and external vendors to deliver packaging from concept through launch meeting defined project key objective and timeline.
• Create, maintain, and manage detailed technical documentation including drawings, specifications, BOMs, testing protocols, tooling recommendations, and risk assessments.
• Ensure cross‑functional project team and executive leadership alignment at each development stage gate.
• Ensure all packaging meets global regulatory, environmental, and safety standards.
• Identify compliance risks early and lead teams in identifying alternatives or design adjustments.
• Partner with Regulatory Affairs to guarantee accurate monitoring and documentation of essential metrics, including PCR percentage and plastic tonnage, in accordance with government regulations and filing standards.
• Collaborate with the Marketing and Product Development teams to set sustainability targets, establish long‑term objectives, and define consumer‑facing commitments.
• Apply sustainability targets and frameworks—including recyclability, material reduction, renewable materials, and circular design—to all packaging decisions.
• Develop packaging solutions that balance aesthetics, technical performance and sustainability, while meeting predefined cost targets.
• Identify and lead initiatives focused on value engineering, material optimization, cost reduction, and operational efficiency with a goal of improved gross margins.
• Attend and support manufacturing scale‑up by ensuring robust, efficient, and repeatable production processes.
• Identify, qualify, and manage packaging suppliers and contract manufacturing partners to build a strong supply chain and production network.
• Oversee tooling development, master batch color matching, sample approval, equipment qualification, line trials, and production start‑up.
• Establish strong supplier…