Description

The Packaging Inspiration Lab (PIL) Analyst is an entry point into The Estée Lauder Companies' broader Packaging organization, designed to build the next generation of Packaging professionals through hands-on experience, technical development, and cross-functional collaboration.

The Analyst supports the identification, development, and acceleration of packaging innovation opportunities by connecting consumer insights, emerging trends and technologies, supplier capabilities, and category strategies. Working at the intersection of consumer, design, technology, and business, the role translates emerging opportunities into actionable packaging solutions and compelling visual concepts that bring innovation to life across ELC's diverse brands and categories.

This role combines research and strategic thinking with foundational packaging knowledge, technical visualization, and cross-functional collaboration. As part of a small, agile team, the Analyst embraces new challenges, adapts quickly to evolving priorities, and proactively contributes wherever needed. The role also supports the development of scalable innovation frameworks that strengthen category strategies, accelerate early-stage innovation, and drive long-term business growth.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership Mindset

The Analyst demonstrates curiosity, adaptability, accountability, and a commitment to continuous learning while contributing as part of a small, agile team. Success in this role requires comfort with ambiguity, openness to new challenges, and the ability to adjust quickly as business priorities evolve.

• Demonstrate curiosity, analytical thinking, and a passion for continuous learning.
• Approach work with a positive, adaptable, and solutions-oriented mindset.
• Manage assignments independently while adapting to shifting priorities and timelines.
• Exercise sound judgment by recognizing when to seek guidance or escalate strategic decisions.
• Take ownership of personal development by actively seeking feedback, building new capabilities, and applying learnings to increasingly complex assignments.

Brand & Business Leadership

The Analyst helps translate consumer insights, emerging opportunities, supplier capabilities, and category strategies into packaging solutions that support brand priorities, consumer experience, and long-term business growth.

• Connect consumer insights, emerging technologies, supplier capabilities, and category strategies to identify packaging innovation opportunities.
• Translate ideas into actionable packaging solutions that support business priorities and category needs.
• Connect ideas across consumer insights, design, technology, and business.
• Support the development of scalable innovation frameworks that strengthen category strategies, accelerate early-stage innovation, and drive long-term business growth.
• Develop an understanding of ELC brands, consumers, category strategies, and distinctive brand identities.
• Understand how packaging innovation can strengthen brand expression, consumer experience, and commercial value across different brands and categories.
• Translate brand identity, design language, consumer needs, and innovation opportunities into compelling visual packaging expressions that demonstrate how concepts could come to life across different brands and categories.

Innovation & Technical Strategy

The Analyst researches, monitors, and translates emerging consumer, packaging, retail, technology, sustainability, and beauty trends into actionable insights that support packaging innovation.

• Identify relevant research and evaluate information from multiple sources.
• Translate findings into innovation briefs, presentations, and storytelling materials.
• Research and monitor emerging consumer, packaging, retail, technology, sustainability, and beauty trends.
• Support innovation initiatives including cross-functional workshops and other collaborative innovation activities.
• Develop an understanding of how innovation opportunities balance consumer desirability, creative intent, technical feasibility, and business relevance.

Project Leadership

The Analyst coordinates innovation initiatives and assigned workstreams while developing strong planning, organization, prioritization, and execution capabilities.

• Coordinate cross-functional innovation activities, including workshops, information-sharing forums, and collaborative working sessions.
• Plan and execute innovation activities by coordinating materials, samples, stakeholders, and key deliverables.
• Capture outcomes, document next steps, and ensure effective follow-through.
• Support strategic initiatives and special projects as business needs evolve.
• Take ownership of assigned workstreams from initial brief through delivery, maintaining clear priorities, timelines, follow-through, and communication with key stakeholders.

Cross-Functional Partnership & Influence

The Analyst builds strong working relationships and collaborates across diverse internal and external partners to advance innovation initiatives, strategic priorities, and special projects.

• Collaborate with Packaging, Consumer Intelligence, R&I, Engineering, suppliers, and other cross-functional partners.
• Facilitate collaboration as part of innovation initiatives, workshops, and working sessions.
• Develop clear, visually engaging, and actionable communications for a variety of audiences.
• Translate complex information into innovation briefs, presentations, and strategic recommendations.
• Communicate packaging opportunities effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Build credibility as a collaborative business partner through strong attention to detail, responsiveness, and clear communication.

People Leadership & Organizational Development

Although this is an individual contributor role, the Analyst contributes to the effectiveness of the Packaging Inspiration Lab and supports the team's evolving needs.

• Contribute wherever needed to support evolving team and business priorities.
• Maintain organized, accessible, and engaging innovation resources that enable collaboration across the organization.
• Identify opportunities to improve processes and enhance the user experience.
• Build strong relationships and work collaboratively across diverse teams.
• Seek coaching and feedback, share knowledge openly, and contribute to a collaborative team environment.
• Demonstrate accountability for personal development while building behaviors and capabilities that support future growth across the broader Packaging organization.

Digital & AI Leadership

Digital and AI capabilities enable the Analyst to accelerate research, creative exploration, knowledge management, and innovation storytelling while supporting more efficient and effective ways of working.

• Use AI-enabled research and creative tools to accelerate trend research, synthesize information, explore ideas, and support innovation storytelling.
• Leverage digital tools to organize and maintain inspiration assets, supplier materials, research, and knowledge repositories.
• Explore emerging digital technologies and new ways of working that improve the speed, quality, and effectiveness of PIL activities.
• Use AI and digital tools responsibly by applying critical thinking and validating outputs for accuracy, relevance, and business context.

Technical Excellence & Innovation Visualization

The Analyst applies and continues to build a foundational understanding of Packaging while developing the technical and visualization capabilities needed to translate innovation opportunities into tangible, compelling concepts.

• Develop foundational knowledge of packaging materials, manufacturing processes, decoration technologies, package architectures, dispensing systems, and commercialization considerations.
• Apply and further develop working knowledge of CAD, 3D visualization, and rendering tools to translate early-stage packaging innovations into technically credible, brand-relevant concepts.
• Apply technical understanding when evaluating and communicating emerging packaging concepts, technologies, supplier capabilities, and innovation opportunities.
• Continuously build technical Packaging knowledge through hands-on learning, collaboration, and industry exposure.

Qualifications

• Education/Certification: Minimum BS degree in Packaging Science, Packaging Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Design, Product Design, Materials Engineering, or a related technical/design discipline.
• Direct Experience: 0-1 years experience in Package Development, Quality Assurance, Manufacturing or Package Testing lab in cosmetics or related industry.
• Proficiency in computer systems including Microsoft Suite.
• Basic competency in analysis of geometric objects in 2 and 3 dimensions including understanding of clearances, fit and finish of packaging components and subcomponents.
• Working knowledge or academic experience with CAD, 3D modeling, rendering, prototyping, packaging materials, manufacturing processes, or product development preferred.
• Basic knowledge of materials used in the construction and manufacturing of primary, secondary and tertiary packaging including but not limited to: Injection molding, Extrusion molding, Metal forming, Glass forming, Vacuum forming, Assembly of components, Dispensing systems (Pump, Airless), Folding carton and rigid box design.
• Basic knowledge of decorating techniques and materials used on primary, secondary and tertiary packaging.
• Basic knowledge of test methods used to validate component/package performance.

Pay Range:

The anticipated base salary range for this position is$66,300.00to $96,050.00. Exact salary depends on several factors such as experience, skills, education, and budget. Salary range may vary based on geographic location. In addition to base salary, this position is eligible for participation in a highly competitive bonus program with the possibility for overachievement based on performance and company results.

In addition, The Estée Lauder Companies offers a variety of benefits to eligible employees, including health insurance coverage (medical, dental, and vision insurance), wellness and family support programs, life and disability insurance, retirement savings plans, paid leave programs, education-related programs, paid holidays and vacation time, and many others. Many of these benefits are subsidized or fully paid for by the company.