Packaging Optimization Engineer

Clemens Food Group

$70K — $95K *
Food & Beverages
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Experience in manufacturing, packaging, operations, or engineering environments
  • Strong troubleshooting and root cause analysis skills
  • Comfortable working in fast-paced production settings
  • Ability to influence teams and drive change without direct authority
  • Bias for action and strong problem-solving mindset
  • Strong communication and collaboration skills

Responsibilities

  • Troubleshoot packaging and production issues directly on the plant floor
  • Lead packaging optimization and cost savings initiatives
  • Support packaging trials, commercialization projects, and new product launches
  • Improve packaging efficiency, pallet utilization, and material usage
  • Partner cross-functionally with Operations, QA, Maintenance, Purchasing, Supply Chain, and R&D
  • Work with vendors to evaluate packaging materials, equipment, and new technologies

Benefits

  • High visibility and business impact
  • Hands-on operational role, not a desk job
  • Opportunity to shape a growing packaging engineering function
  • Exposure to multiple facilities and cross-functional teams
  • Career growth into technical or operational leadership paths
Full Job Description
This is not a traditional packaging engineering role. At Clemens Food Group, Packaging Engineers are hands-on problem solvers who work directly with operations, maintenance, purchasing, and R&D teams to improve packaging performance across multiple manufacturing facilities.

You will play a key role in driving cost savings, supporting product launches, improving sustainability, and solving real operational challenges on the plant floor.

What You'll Do

  • Troubleshoot packaging and production issues directly on the plant floor
  • Lead packaging optimization and cost savings initiatives
  • Support packaging trials, commercialization projects, and new product launches
  • Improve packaging efficiency, pallet utilization, and material usage
  • Partner cross-functionally with Operations, QA, Maintenance, Purchasing, Supply Chain, and R&D
  • Work with vendors to evaluate packaging materials, equipment, and new technologies


This Job Is for People Who

  • Enjoy being on the production floor solving problems in real time
  • Like working cross-functionally with different teams and personalities
  • Have a bias for action and move projects forward without waiting for perfect conditions
  • Are comfortable troubleshooting issues hands-on instead of managing from a desk
  • Can influence others without direct authority
  • Stay resilient and solution-focused when priorities shift quickly
  • Want visible impact on operations, cost savings, and product launches


This Job Is Not Ideal for Those Who

  • Prefer highly structured desk-based engineering work
  • Want to spend most of their time designing packaging in software programs
  • Struggle with fast-paced production environments or shifting priorities
  • Prefer working independently with limited cross-functional interaction
  • Need constant direction before acting
  • Avoid difficult conversations or operational conflict
  • Dislike spending significant time on the plant floor


What We're Looking For

  • Experience in manufacturing, packaging, operations, or engineering environments
  • Strong troubleshooting and root cause analysis skills
  • Comfortable working in fast-paced production settings
  • Ability to influence teams and drive change without direct authority
  • Bias for action and strong problem-solving mindset
  • Strong communication and collaboration skills


Why This Role Stands Out

  • High visibility and business impact
  • Hands-on operational role, not a desk job
  • Opportunity to shape a growing packaging engineering function
  • Exposure to multiple facilities and cross-functional teams
  • Career growth into technical or operational leadership paths


Agency Statement:

Clemens Food Group does not accept unsolicited resumes from search or staffing firms. All resumes submitted by search or staffing firms to any employee at Clemens Food Group via email, the Internet, or directly without a valid written search agreement for this role, and without having been asked to participate in this by Talent Acquisition, will be deemed the sole property of Clemens Food Group, and no fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired. Firms not authorized to submit candidates will not be eligible for any fee or ownership claim.

Similar Jobs

More Jobs at Clemens Food Group

More Food & Beverages Jobs

Find similar Packaging Optimization Engineer jobs: