Location: Hershey, PAHow will you fit in the big picture?Packaging plays a critical role in shaping growth at Hershey. As Front-of-Funnel Packaging Manager, you will bring packaging strategy and technical feasibility into the earliest stages of innovation, renovation, and portfolio planning. You will partner closely with R&D and Packaging Commercialization, along with Brand, Commercial, Insights, Supply Chain, Procurement, Manufacturing, Quality, Regulatory, and Sustainability, to translate business and consumer needs into packaging choices that are feasible, scalable, sustainable, cost-conscious, and launch-ready.
What will you do?1. Shape upstream packaging strategy by defining opportunity spaces, technical guardrails, feasibility considerations, and implications during idea generation, concept development, portfolio planning, and strategic business decisions.
2. Serve as a key bridge among Packaging, R&D, and Packaging Commercialization, aligning product design, packaging feasibility, validation, risk mitigation, launch readiness, and scale-up requirements from the start.
3. Translate consumer, customer, channel, sustainability, retail, e-commerce, and operational needs into packaging design principles, success criteria, and technical decision criteria.
4. Develop packaging options, scenarios, prototypes, supplier engagement plans, learning agendas, testing approaches, and risk assessments before commercialization begins.
5. Lead cross-functional alignment without relying on direct authority, framing trade-offs, investment implications, risks, and recommendations for senior technical and business stakeholders.
6. Resolve ambiguous, high-impact packaging challenges by balancing technical performance, product protection, consumer experience, cost, speed-to-market, compliance, sustainability, and scalability.
7. Build repeatable front-of-funnel tools, decision frameworks, playbooks, governance approaches, and technical capability across Packaging and partner functions.
Minimum Education & RequirementsExperience:7+ years of relevant experience in packaging development, packaging strategy, commercialization, technical program leadership, innovation leadership, or a related field.
Experience should demonstrate success operating in ambiguity, influencing senior stakeholders, partnering with R&D and Commercialization, and translating business strategy into practical technical recommendations.
Education: Bachelor's degree in Packaging Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Food Science, or a related technical discipline required. Advanced degree preferred.
Benefits and Perks At Hershey, we offer competitive pay and a comprehensive total rewards package designed to support your wellbeing, financial security, and life outside of work.
- Health & Wellbeing: Medical, dental, and vision coverage, plus wellness programs that support your physical and mental health
- Financial Security: Competitive pay, annual incentive opportunities, and a 401(k) with company match
- Time Off & Flexibility: Paid time off, company holidays, and flexible ways of working where applicable
- Growth & Development: Career development programs, learning opportunities, and internal mobility
Benefits may vary based on role, location, and eligibility.
The anticipated base salary range for this role is $141,520 to $176,900 per year. The actual base salary offered will depend on a variety of job-related factors, including, but not limited to, experience, skill set, education, and training. In addition to a market-competitive base salary, our Total Rewards package includes performance-based incentives and a comprehensive, competitive benefits package designed to support overall physical, mental, and financial well-being (as applicable). Learn more about Hershey's benefits and all the resources Hershey provides to support our employees' physical, emotional, and financial well-being by visiting the Hershey Digital Employee Experience at www.askHRbenefits.hersheys.com
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