Description Packaging Engineer
Location: Penn Yan, NY
Company: KanPak
Reports to: KanPak President
About the Role
KanPak is seeking a Packaging Engineer to develop, optimize, and improve packaging systems in a high-speed food manufacturing environment. This role is responsible for ensuring packaging solutions are safe, compliant, cost-effective, and visually appealing while meeting KanPak's manufacturing, quality, and customer service standards. The Packaging Engineer will lead packaging line performance and reliability initiatives using data-driven analysis, root-cause problem solving, and continuous improvement tools to increase throughput, reduce waste, and protect product quality.
Key Responsibilities
- Evaluate, recommend, and implement new or modified packaging solutions by analyzing requirements, defining specifications and standards, developing cost analyses, and creating implementation plans.
- Develop and execute packaging concepts and prototypes, including task definition, risk assessment, material selection, parameter setting, and validation of distribution and transport methods.
- Partner cross-functionally with Operations, Maintenance, Quality, R&D, Procurement, and Project Management to support commercialization, line trials, corrective actions, and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Analyze packaging line performance data to identify bottlenecks, chronic losses, and downtime trends; drive improvements in throughput, yield, and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).
- Lead root-cause investigations and implement corrective and preventive actions related to packaging quality, safety, or efficiency issues.
- Design and execute experiments (DOE) to optimize equipment settings, material usage, and process reliability; apply statistical process control (SPC) as appropriate.
- Plan and support primary and secondary packaging audits and trials; establish incoming and finished material specifications, sampling plans, and acceptance criteria.
- Define pallet configurations and packaging standards to meet internal requirements and customer expectations.
- Support capital projects including line upgrades, new equipment commissioning, layout changes, and ergonomic or material-flow improvements.
- Support label and artwork processes, including requirements gathering, approvals, and maintenance of approved artwork libraries.
- Maintain packaging specifications, drawings, and bills of material (BOMs) within internal and external systems.
- Conduct benchmarking studies of packaging technologies and industry best practices to identify improvement opportunities.
- Perform other related duties as assigned.
Qualifications
Education - Bachelor's degree in Packaging Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related field from an accredited college or university.
Experience - 3-6 years of relevant packaging engineering experience in food, beverage, or consumer packaged goods, preferably in a manufacturing plant or R&D environment.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Working knowledge of existing and emerging packaging technologies and packaging material performance.
- Understanding of food safety principles, GMPs, and sanitation expectations.
- Experience with high-speed packaging equipment and automated packaging operations.
- Proficiency in experimental design (DOE), validation methods, SPC, OEE, and data-driven performance metrics.
- Knowledge of packaging and labeling regulatory requirements.
- Familiarity with Lean, Six Sigma, and TPM fundamentals.
- Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to analyze data, identify root causes, and implement sustainable solutions.
- Ability to plan and execute packaging trials; document results; and update specifications, drawings, and BOMs.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and the ability to learn tools such as Minitab or Power BI.
- Effective communication skills with the ability to collaborate across functions, work with suppliers and customers, and present findings to groups.
- Commitment to working in accordance with KanPak's Values and Creed.
Why Join KanPak
- Opportunity to work in a dynamic, high-speed food manufacturing environment
- High level of cross-functional collaboration and visibility
- Ability to make a direct impact on product quality, efficiency, and innovation
