Staff Engineer Packaging

Staff Engineer Packaging

What will you do?

• Execute sustainable packaging projects focused on recyclability, recycled content, material efficiency, circularity, and greenhouse gas reduction while maintaining product protection, quality, and manufacturing reliability.

• Evaluate new packaging materials and technologies through supplier reviews, feasibility assessments, laboratory testing, design of experiments, transport simulations, line trials, technical qualification, specification updates, and post-launch follow-up.

• Partner with suppliers, converters, material developers, recyclers, and technology providers to identify and advance sustainable material solutions for potential commercialization.

• Translate established sustainability priorities, customer and consumer needs, and regulatory requirements into practical technical workplans, test methods, risk assessments, and implementation steps.

• Collaborate with Procurement, Operations, Quality, Regulatory, Legal, Commercial, Marketing, Finance, Sustainability, and equipment partners to deliver solutions that are technically sound, cost effective, scalable, and compliant.

• Use packaging data, lifecycle thinking, supplier inputs, and sustainability analytics to develop clear technical recommendations and identify material reduction and performance opportunities.

• Support packaging regulatory readiness, including Extended Producer Responsibility, recyclability claims, labeling implications, recycled content requirements, and packaging data needs.

• Document specifications, testing outcomes, technical decisions, assumptions, risks, and implementation requirements; share learnings and provide technical guidance to project partners and less experienced engineers.

• Monitor emerging packaging technologies, material science developments, recycling infrastructure, customer expectations, and regulatory trends and apply relevant insights to assigned projects.

Minimum Education & Requirements

• Experience: 5+ years of relevant experience in packaging development, packaging engineering, material science, sustainability, or a related technical field.

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Packaging Engineering preferred; Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Polymer Science, Environmental Engineering, or a related technical field is acceptable.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced knowledge of packaging materials, converting technologies, equipment interaction, manufacturability, quality requirements, and specification management across flexible, rigid, paper-based, corrugate, film, resin, polymer, fiber-based, or emerging material systems.

• Experience executing packaging trials, supplier evaluations, technical qualifications, specification updates, commercialization support, and sustainable packaging implementation.

• Knowledge of sustainable packaging principles and regulatory-driven packaging change, including EPR, recyclability claims, recycled content, labeling, packaging data, or carbon reduction.

• Strong analytical, project management, communication, and cross-functional influence skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-moving environment.

• Working knowledge of SAP, PLM/PDM, specification systems, packaging data dashboards, Microsoft Office, project management tools, or sustainability reporting inputs.

Benefits and Perks

At Hershey, we offer competitive pay and a comprehensive total rewards package designed to support your wellbeing, financial security, and life outside of work.

Health & Wellbeing: Medical, dent