Director, Product & Package Scale Up (R&D

Position: Director, Product & Package Scale Up (R&D)
Education & Experience:

* Bachelor’s degree or higher in Packaging Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Food Science, Food Engineering, Materials Science, or related technical field.  MS/PhD preferred.

* 10-15+ years of progressive experience in packaging, product development, process engineering, scale-up, commercialization, or manufacturing within food, beverage, CPG, or related process industries.

* Demonstrated experience leading complex cross-functional technical programs involving R&I, Packaging, Marketing, Operations, Engineering, Procurement, Quality, Regulatory, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, and external partners.

* Strong packaging technical depth, including materials, package functionality, validation, manufacturability, sustainability, supplier engagement, specifications, and launch execution.

* Strong understanding of product and process scale-up, including pilot and plant trials, unit operations, line performance, quality systems, process capability, and technical troubleshooting.

* Ability to lead through ambiguity, make timely technical decisions, translate complexity into clear recommendations, and influence senior stakeholders across a matrixed organization.

* Experience building technical roadmaps, risk mitigation plans, validation strategies, and commercialization readiness routines that improve speed, quality, and business impact.

* Strong business acumen, with understanding of R&I value levers including growth, productivity, quality, risk mitigation, sustainability, consumer experience, speed to market, and cost position.

* Strong leadership, coaching, communication, and storytelling skills, with the ability to develop senior technical talent and align cross-functional teams behind clear execution priorities.

* Ability to travel to manufacturing sites, suppliers, external manufacturers, and other technical locations as needed to support scale-up, validation, troubleshooting, and launch readiness (approx. 20-30% travel).