Packaging Engineer

Job Title

Packaging Engineer

Nov 11, 2025

Hershey, PA

With minimal supervision from the Manager, the Packaging Engineer leads the design and technical development of packaging solutions for new and existing products. The role is responsible for the development of packaging materials by working with Project Teams and Vendors to recommend, review, test and identify costs for packaging design proposals. The Engineer creates detailed specifications and accurate Bill of Materials for successful packaging implementation and supports production facilities by assisting in issue resolution and optimizing packaging design to ensure peak performance.

The position manages a mix of low‑to‑medium complexity commercial projects requiring fundamental packaging technology expertise and serves as a representative on project teams to advocate packaging interests, share technical knowledge, provide data analytics, and implement solutions that deliver against project scope.

• Product & Packaging Development/Commercialization
  • Collaborate with project initiator to define, understand, and align to project objectives and expectations.
  • Design, review, recommend, and test various packaging design proposals.
  • Select packaging material substrates and structures for primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging to minimize material usage, optimize manufacturing and labor efficiencies, and maintain product integrity, retail performance, and aesthetics.
  • Determine impact of new packaging design on existing and new automation systems at manufacturing locations.
  • Develop design‑of‑experiments/test methodologies on packaging materials and structures to determine performance attributes best suited to maintain product quality and maximize shelf‑life while minimizing costs.
  • Conduct analytical testing on materials and structures; evaluate and interpret technical data findings and communicate results to stakeholders.
  • Coordinate and support equipment trials, line trials, distribution tests, etc., to validate new packaging materials and structural designs.
  • Recommend and execute optimized packaging design solution aligned with stakeholders.
  • Contribute to project success through clear written, verbal correspondence and presentations understandable by stakeholders of varying technical & business understanding.
  • Ensure projects remain on schedule by setting achievable expectations, proactively driving tasks for on‑time completion, highlighting potential risks, responding timely to communications, and actively participating in project team meetings.
  • Simultaneously manage multiple projects and prioritize work to meet established timelines and deliverables.
  • Assess and resolve identified packaging design problems and opportunities (consumer, retail, distribution, manufacturing performance) on existing items, implementing design, quality, process, and system improvements.
• Documentation
  • Create and publish robust and accurate specifications detailing critical attributes to ensure consistent material quality and packaging assembly.
  • Provide necessary packaging component mechanical drawings for artwork development and layout; approve graphical artwork for correct application.
  • Create, enter, and publish accurate packaging Bill of Materials into the Material Data Management System.
  • Publish specifications and Bill of Materials to meet established timelines and priorities enabling production planning and material ordering.
  • Support creation and review of packaging quality standards, tolerances, and regulatory documents.
  • Work with Procurement to obtain cost estimates for new packaging materials.
  • Ensure packaging‑related risks and key decisions are documented in project team minutes, gate reviews, online project folder, presentations, and emails.
  • Ensure technical reports documenting test results and analytics are archived for easy identification and retrieval.
• Packaging Optimization
  • Identify and initiate packaging research aimed at decreasing costs, reducing material usage, and improving recyclability while maintaining product and packaging integrity.
  • Partner with Procurement on the implementation of cost‑reduction…