Packaging Engineering Project Manager

Job Description:

Multi-Site Role | Northern Ireland | Permanent

Contact:
Conor O'Hagan

Hunter Savage is delighted to partner with a leading food manufacturing organisation to recruit a Packaging Engineering Project Manager to join their operations team. This is a key strategic, multi‑site role focused on optimising packaging machinery, delivering packaging innovation projects, and ensuring compatibility between packaging materials and high‑speed production lines.

The successful candidate will bring a strong engineering or operations background, ideally with experience in food, dairy, or FMCG manufacturing, and a solid understanding of automated packaging lines, filling systems, and packaging material performance.

Top 3 Things About This Role

• Engineering‑Led Packaging Projects. Lead projects focused on integrating new packaging formats with automated filling and packaging equipment.
• Operational Impact Across Multiple Sites. Improve packaging line efficiency, reliability, and performance across several manufacturing facilities.
• Sustainability & Innovation. Support the transition to more sustainable packaging formats while ensuring operational compatibility and performance.

The Role

Reporting to the Director of Production, the Packaging Engineering Project Manager will support the delivery of packaging engineering projects across multiple production sites. The role focuses on ensuring packaging materials, formats, and machinery operate effectively together in high‑speed food production environments.

You will work closely with engineering, operations, procurement, and packaging suppliers to deliver projects from concept and trials through to full production implementation.

A strong understanding of packaging machinery, production line performance, and material compatibility will be essential to ensure new packaging solutions can be implemented successfully without negatively impacting operational efficiency.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead packaging engineering and machinery improvement projects across multiple manufacturing sites.
• Ensure packaging formats and materials are compatible with filling, sealing, and packing machinery.
• Manage packaging line trials, validation testing, and production implementation.
• Work with equipment manufacturers and packaging suppliers to introduce new technologies.
• Troubleshoot packaging‑machine interface issues affecting production performance.
• Support operations teams in improving packaging line reliability and efficiency.
• Drive continuous improvement across packaging processes and machinery performance.
• Deliver sustainable packaging initiatives including recyclable materials and light weighting.
• Ensure packaging solutions meet food safety, regulatory, and quality standards.
• Maintain packaging specifications and documentation across sites.

About You

• Degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Packaging Technology, or related discipline.
• Experience in project engineering, packaging engineering, or manufacturing engineering within FMCG.
• Strong understanding of automated packaging machinery and production lines.
• Experience working in food or dairy manufacturing environments.
• Knowledge of flexible packaging, trays, films, sealing technologies, and barrier materials.
• Experience managing production trials and machinery optimisation.
• Strong problem‑solving and project management capability.
• Ability to work cross‑functionally with engineering, operations, and technical teams.
• Proficient in MS Office and ERP systems (Dynamics NAV / Business Central desirable).
• Full right to work in the UK (sponsorship not available).

What's on Offer

• Competitive salary (DOE).
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays.
• Contributory pension scheme.
• Life assurance.
• Ongoing training and development.
• Opportunity to deliver engineering‑led packaging innovation within a leading NI food manufacturer.

This is an excellent opportunity for a Project Engineer or Manufacturing Engineer with experience in packaging machinery and food production environments who wants to play a key role in improving packaging performance, sustainability, and operational efficiency across multiple sites.

For a confidential conversation or to apply, please contact:

Conor O'Hagan - Hunter Savage

All enquiries will be handled in strict confidence.