Packaging Engineer

Job Description:

About The Company

Monogram Food’s supply chain strategy is to transform its traditional supply chain into a world class operation that nimbly supports fast-changing consumer behavior and business growth goals. This continuous improvement journey will ultimately result in customers choosing Monogram as their long-term business partner.

With a diverse portfolio that includes meat snacks, appetizers, assembled sandwiches, fully cooked and raw bacon, corn dogs, USDA baked goods, and other convenience products, Monogram Foods is committed to excellence and innovation.

We are more than a company – we are a family of over 4,000 dedicated team members who share a common goal: to produce the best food products in the industry. At Monogram Foods, we value hard work, creativity, and collaboration. We believe that our team members are our greatest asset, and we are committed to their professional development and personal growth.

Why join Monogram Foods?

• Innovation and Quality: Be part of a team that prides itself on producing innovative and top-quality food products.
• Growth Opportunities: With our rapid expansion and diverse product lines, there are endless opportunities for career advancement.
• Team-Oriented Culture: Join a supportive and collaborative work environment where your contributions are valued and recognized.
• Comprehensive Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, health benefits, and a robust support system designed to help you thrive both personally and professionally.

Purpose:

This role will be primarily focused on the specification and functional performance of food product packaging for new products that support business commercialization activities. This will include food contact, consumer facing, and shipping packaging including flexible packaging, cartons and brown-box and display corrugate. This role will work closely with internal resources, packaging suppliers and customers to deliver functional, cost effective and innovative packaging. The Packaging Engineer will provide the key link between the Commercialization Managers in Memphis and the site-based operations and procurement teams.

This role, reporting to the Ingredients and Packaging Procurement Director, will be primarily focused on the specification and functional performance of food product packaging for new products that support new business commercialization activities. In addition, this role will undertake periodic review of current structures and existing packaging design to improve form, fit or function, or to deliver cost savings.

Principal Accountabilities:

• Manage the packaging development process, including the creation of packaging designs, prototype development and specification and testing.
• Build strong internal and external relationships with key business partners to support new product launches and key initiatives.
• Lead the packaging portion of new or existing finished product specifications including accountability for the specification database.
• Coordinate with Product Development, Manufacturing and the Customer to specify, test and implement the optimum packaging design for new products.
• Provide technical support, including leading line trials, to operations and engineering through the development and commercialization of a new product, and as needed thereafter.
• Analyze engineering drawings and specifications of product to determine physical characteristics of item, special handling, environment and safety requirements and type of materials required for packaging.
• Troubleshoot new and existing packaging problems involving design, material and processes, providing timely creative and cost-effective solutions.
• Identify and support implement cost savings initiatives related to existing packaging materials, labor, efficiency, transportation and storage.

The Ideal Candidate will have the Following Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree is required. (Packaging or Mechanical Engineering, or related field preferred).
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in packaging functions, preferably in the food industry.
• Knowledge of food packaging principles, quality and food safety requirements, ingredient performance and interactions with equipment and new product scale up dynamics.
• Understanding of process improvement and quality improvement concepts.
• Strong interpersonal and communication (oral and written) skills desired.
• Ability to multi-task and possess sense of urgency to meet time-sensitive deadlines.
• Problem solving and decision-making skills are necessary.
• Must be able to work independently and in a team.
• Possess demonstrated project management skills.
• Must be 18 years or older.

Competencies:

• Action Oriented. Enjoys working hard; is action oriented and full of energy for the things he/she sees as challenging; not fearful of acting with a minimum of planning; seizes more opportunities than others.
• Customer Focus. Is dedicated to meeting the expectations and requirements of internal and external customers; gets first hand customer information and uses it for improvements in products and services; acts with customers in mind; establishes and maintains effective relationships with customers and gains their trust and respect.
• Drive for Results. Can be counted on to exceed goals successfully; is constantly and consistently one of the top performers; very bottom-line oriented; steadfastly pushes self and others for results.
• Functional/Technical Skills. Has the functional and technical knowledge and skills to do the job at a high level of accomplishment.
• Organizational Agility. Knowledgeable about how organizations work; knows how to get things done both through formal channels and the informal network; understands the origin and reasoning behind key policies, practices, and procedures; understands the cultures of organizations.
• Planning. Accurately scopes out length and difficulty of tasks and projects; sets objectives and goals; breaks down work into the process steps; develops schedules and task/people assignments; anticipates and adjusts for problems and roadblocks; measures performance against goals; evaluates results.
• Priority Setting. Spends his/her time and the time of others on what's important; quickly zeros in on the critical few and puts the trivial many aside; can quickly sense what will help or hinder accomplishing a goal; eliminates roadblocks; creates focus.