What are the responsibilities and job description for the Project Leader, Retail Packaging position at kohler?
Location: Onsite, 4 days per week – Kohler, WI
Opportunity:
At Kohler, we believe
every touchpoint tells our brand story – including the package that greets
customers at shelf, in-store, and online. The Project Leader – Retail Packaging
plays a pivotal role in bringing that story to life across all our Retail
Channel partners – Home Depot, Lowe’s, Costco, and beyond.
The Project Leader –
Retail Packaging Optimization leads efforts to streamline and elevate how
Kohler brings packaging to market balancing productivity, operational
efficiency, and sustainability with design excellence and brand impact. This
role champions SKU and packaging optimization; ensuring the right size,
materials, and construction to reduce waste, improve palletization, and enhance
customer experience across our Retail Channel.
You’ll collaborate across
Marketing, Product, Engineering, Operations, and Sustainability teams to align
packaging design and execution with enterprise goals: efficiency, quality, and
environmental stewardship.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
Packaging Productivity & SKU Optimization
- Identify opportunities to reduce packaging size, cost, and environmental impact while maintaining brand standards and product protection.
- Support business case development for packaging redesigns that deliver measurable productivity gains.
- Partner with Category, Product, and Operations teams to rationalize SKUs, consolidate materials, and standardize components for improved scale.
- Lead analysis of packaging dimensions, cube utilization, and transportation efficiency across product categories.
Cross-Functional Process Excellence
- Drive alignment and accountability across teams (Channel Marketing, Product Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, and Creative).
- Map current-state packaging workflows and lead process improvement initiatives to increase speed-to-market and reduce rework.
- Establish clear handoffs, milestones, and shared KPIs across functions to improve transparency and efficiency.
- Build and maintain packaging scorecards and dashboards that track project timing, material utilization, and cost savings.
Sustainable Design & Material Innovation
- Partner with Sustainability and Procurement teams to integrate recyclable, renewable, and right-sized materials.
- Evaluate packaging material performance, recyclability, and supplier environmental practices.
- Develop and document sustainable design guidelines and standards aligned to Kohler’s ESG and corporate responsibility goals.
- Educate and influence cross-functional partners to embed sustainability into packaging development and decision-making.
Retail & Brand Integration
- Ensure optimized designs meet retailer specifications and shopper expectations across physical and digital environments.
- Maintain a balance between operational efficiency and the Bold Look of Kohler—upholding brand integrity through design simplicity and premium craftsmanship.
- Partner with Retail Channel teams to validate packaging solutions in-store and online, ensuring form, function, and sustainability work together