Principal Packaging Engineer, R&D

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Join to apply for the Principal Packaging Engineer, R&D role at Tropicana Brands Group

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Fresh-Squeezed Legacy, Bold New Chapter

Tropicana Brands Group is a $3B startup aiming to revolutionize the beverage category. Formed in 2022 as a joint venture between PAI Partners and Pepsi Co, our portfolio includes iconic brands like Tropicana, Naked, KeVita, Izze, Copella, and Punica. With over 76 years of global leadership in the orange juice category, we’re committed to preserving this legacy while driving innovation in other areas.

From reimagining orange juice to creating functional smoothies and driving afternoon refreshments, we are striving to become the undisputed global leader in fresh and chilled beverages.

Fresh-Squeezed Legacy, Bold New Chapter

Tropicana Brands Group is a $3B startup aiming to revolutionize the beverage category. Formed in 2022 as a joint venture between PAI Partners and Pepsi Co, our portfolio includes iconic brands like Tropicana, Naked, KeVita, Izze, Copella, and Punica. With over 76 years of global leadership in the orange juice category, we’re committed to preserving this legacy while driving innovation in other areas.

From reimagining orange juice to creating functional smoothies and driving afternoon refreshments, we are striving to become the undisputed global leader in fresh and chilled beverages.

The Research & Development (R&D) team drives innovation, product development, and technological advancements across its juice and beverage portfolio. Focused on creating unique flavors, enhancing nutritional value, and improving formulations, the team ensures products meet evolving consumer preferences. They lead projects from concept to launch, ensuring efficient execution while aligning with business goals. Committed to sustainability, they develop innovative packaging solutions that are biodegradable, recyclable, and environmentally friendly.

Additionally, they uphold rigorous nutritional science and regulatory standards, validating health claims and ensuring compliance. With a strong emphasis on food safety, quality, and process engineering, the team optimizes manufacturing systems to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and maintain product excellence. Collaborating closely with scientists, nutritionists, and engineers, Tropicana’s R&D team plays a crucial role in keeping products competitive, sustainable, and aligned with market demands.

Your Next Pour:
The Opportunity

We are looking to add a Principal Packaging Engineer to our R&D team. This role supports new product development teams as an integral team member, providing design, development, qualification, and validation of new and/or improved packages for our chilled and ambient juice portfolios. An ability to create "go to market" solutions that deliver products efficiently via multiple distribution platforms and maintain a current understanding of packaging technologies, processes, and material sustainability, as well as technology developments within the packaging industry is expected.

The candidate will be required to transfer technology within internal plants and co-packers to optimize overall system cost and efficiency. Tropicana is looking for a critical thinker with exceptional communication, influencing and relationship management skills who thrives in a fast-paced environment.

Additional responsibilities include:

• Identify, evaluate, and develop packaging solutions that meet business, manufacturing, customer, and consumer needs.
• Maintain open communication and build strong relationships with internal & external teams from suppliers to cross functions.
• Innovative thinking and solution-oriented problem-solving skills. Knowledge of troubleshooting tools/techniques desired.
• Leads as an active member of cross-functional business development teams comprised of individuals from a variety of disciplines, including Marketing, Purchasing, Engineering and other groups.
• Provide support to manufacturing teams during the implementation of commercialization activities and packaging changes.
• Maintains and leverages external network of material and equipment vendors and co-manufacturing partners.
• Demonstrated ability to implement short- and long-term strategies to support organizational operation and transformation.
• Identifies and drives cost savings opportunities, looking both at individual component level as well as process improvements and manufacturing efficiency gains.

• Minimum 5-10 years of experience in packaging development roles, ideally in the high-volume food or consumers goods industries.
• Must have experience in the development and execution of primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging materials, and have knowledge of the interrelationship with equipment.
• Must have a minimum of 5-10 years’ experience executing scale up activities; writing trial protocols, leading…