Packaging Engineer

Who We Are 

Freshpet is a family of pet-loving humans guided by a simple mission: to positively impact pets, people and the planet shared by all. Freshpet employees work hard as a team and get rewarded generously for their dedication and effort. From real career growth, mentorship, stock ownership and competitive pay and benefits for employees and their families — and their fur families, too! — Freshpet aims to make work a rewarding, fun and inspiring part of life. Plus, there are so many ways to contribute at Freshpet. Whether it’s finance, manufacturing, HR, marketing, engineering, innovation or other functions, the company is rapidly growing and always seeking motivated and passionate people to join the Freshpet family. Come join Freshpet’s mission to bring the power of real, fresh food to pets.

What You Will Do 

The Packaging Engineer is responsible for packaging development in support of new products, cost savings projects, process development, and manufacturing/supply chain initiatives. This role combines technical knowledge, project management and cross-functional team communications skills to provide a strong source of packaging capabilities. Required skills paired with a passion for excellence and an entrepreneurial mindset will be important keys to success for the right candidate. The Packaging Engineer will support business needs at both Freshpet Bedminster NJ (Corporate) and Bethlehem, PA (Operations) facilities as required.  

How You Will Make an Impact 

• Design, develop, coordinate, and commercialize new packaging for product development projects
• Interact across all levels & functions and participate in project planning activities
• Research package options, manage project time & risk, produce prototypes, conduct tests, integrate manufacturing processes, engage suppliers, and overall communications
• Create complete and accurate packaging specifications reflecting materials that can be produced consistently and run efficiently on packaging lines
• Formulate and execute experimental design and conduct validation testing to predict package performance, durability, reliability, and consumer function
• Stay abreast of relevant market and consumer trends in packaging seeking opportunities to align product portfolios with innovative packaging concepts and methods
• Collaborate with suppliers, R&D, Quality, Operations, Manufacturing & Finance, to initiate and execute continuous improvement projects geared towards improving quality, lowering cost and/or increasing capacity 
• Troubleshoot packaging issues on production lines to assist with identifying and implementing solutions 
• Communicate implications of material and structure changes to manufacturing plants and co-manufacturers, and ensure appropriate testing and its successful introduction

What You Will Bring 

• Bachelor’s Degree in Package Engineering or an alternate relevant technical discipline (required)
• Minimum 5-7 years of packaging development and project management experience as part of a cross functional team within the Food and Beverage industry
• Applied knowledge in areas of corrugated, paperboard cartons, labels, flexibles/laminates, various print methods, and/or thermoforms for wet/refrigerated products
• Knowledge of refrigerated distribution, modified atmosphere packaging, SQF
• Experience writing packaging specifications and SOPs
• Experience with ArtiosCAD and TOPS Pro software 
• Strong project management, communication, and interpersonal skills
• Ability to self-direct and take constructive action in ambiguous situations
• Ability to prioritize work and manage several projects at a time
• Quality-oriented mindset, strong sense of urgency & attention to detail
• Proficient in MS Office Suite
• Position will share time between Bedminster NJ and Bethlehem PA facilities to support Marketing and Operations initiatives  
• Potential of 10-20% domestic travel

What We Offer 

The range for this position is: $117,000 - $137,000

At Freshpet, we offer a competitive salary and an excellent benefits package, including medical, dental and vision insurance, basic and optional life insurance, short- and long-term disability protection, flexible spending accounts, and a 401(k) plan with company match, paid parental leave, pet insurance, tuition assistance, a generous PTO plan and so much more!

Our Commitment to a Diverse Workforce: 

At Freshpet, we embrace and encourage our employees’ differences in age, sex, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and other characteristics that make our employees unique. 

Freshpet aims to foster, cultivate and preserve a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion. Our employees are our most valuable assets. The collective sum of the individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, inventiveness, innovation, self-expression, unique capabilities and talent that our employees invest in their work represents a significant part of not only our culture, but our reputation and company’s achievement as well. Freshpet is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  

Disclaimers 

We are interested in every qualified candidate who is eligible to work in the United States. However, we are not able to sponsor visas.

Freshpet does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for this employment opportunity. Please, no phone calls or emails. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at Freshpet via-email, the Internet or in any form and/or method without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of Freshpet. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by Freshpet as a result of the referral or through other means.

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