| WHO WE ARE LOOKING FORThe Accessories team spends enough time thinking outside the box. We need YOU to think about the box, and to build the team that does it every day. As our Packaging Engineering Manager, you'll report directly to the Head of Accessories Product Management and lead a small team of packaging engineers. You'll own the packaging strategy and roadmap for Slate Accessories and Service Parts, from shipping packaging through suppliers and 3PLs to the customer-facing unboxing experience. You'll set the bar for quality and stay close enough to the work to roll up your sleeves when a launch needs it.
| WHAT YOU GET TO DO- Build and lead a small, high-performing team of packaging engineers: hire, coach, develop, and manage performance, with clear goals and workload balanced across competing programs.
- Own the packaging strategy and roadmap for Accessories and Service Parts, delivering measurable gains in cost, damage rate, cube and freight efficiency, and sustainability.
- Set the packaging standards, specifications, test protocols, and design guidelines that every Slate part, supplier, and 3PL packages to.
- Deliver an unboxing experience customers love: customer-facing packaging, distinct from factory packaging, that protects the product, tells the Slate story, and, where it helps, doubles as an install guide or fixture.
- Make every launch packaging-ready: define supplier and 3PL packaging requirements, lead validation (ISTA or equivalent), and approve supplier designs, die lines, and samples so product arrives undamaged and on time.
- Align Engineering, Supply Chain, Purchasing, Supplier Quality, Logistics/3PL, Product Management, Brand, and Digital/eComm around one packaging plan, from concept through launch and sustainment.
- Plan capacity and prioritize across simultaneous accessories and service-parts demand, including SUV kit support, so the right work ships first and the team stays focused.
- Own the packaging tooling and development budget, and make clear trade-offs among cost, protection, experience, and speed.
- Stay technically credible: review and approve packaging designs, CAD/die line files, and test results, and step in hands-on when it matters.
| WHAT YOU BRING TO THE TEAM- BS in Packaging Engineering, Industrial Design, Mechanical Engineering, or related field
- 8-12+ years of packaging engineering experience for automotive or consumer products, including 3+ years leading engineers
- Deep knowledge of packaging materials and standards (ISTA, ASTM, labeling requirements), with enough hands-on CAD/die line and testing skill to review and challenge designs
- A track record of building and developing teams: hiring well, coaching, and managing performance in a fast-moving environment
- Demonstrated results reducing packaging cost, damage rate, and freight/cube, and managing a tooling or development budget; dual-use or install-aid packaging experience a plus
- Experience owning supplier-facing packaging guidelines, QC criteria, and validation programs across suppliers and 3PLs
- Strong influence without authority: you align Engineering, Supply Chain, Purchasing, Product, and Brand, and bring suppliers and senior leaders with you
- Comfortable in start-up environments: you build the playbook and roll up your sleeves when the work calls for it
- Passion for customer experience and brand-driven packaging that supports Slate's mission
Location: Carson CA or Troy, MI
SALARY RANGE
The compensation for this position is the range Slate reasonably and in good faith expects to pay for the position taking into account the wide variety of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions, including job-related knowledge; skillset; experience, education and training; certifications; work location; and other relevant business and organizational factors.
Annual Base Pay Range in California: $135,000 to $203,000 USD
ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
Slate offers a wide range of competitive benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability insurance, vacation, and 401k. The successful candidate may also be eligible to participate in the equity program and/or a discretionary annual incentive program, subject to the rules governing such programs.
