Direct Client - Sr Senior Packaging Safety Specialist

About the Role

This is a once-in-a-career opportunity for a packaging QA professional to be part of the biggest sustainability commitments for a large retailer. You will work with industry experts, cross-functional teams, and an outstanding supply base to drive projects from start to finish while continuing a legacy of world-class product safety and quality performance. The role involves managing quality signals, product incidents, and supply base management on a daily basis.

Responsibilities

• Proactively analyze product and supplier quality signals, metrics, audit data, customer feedback, regulator input, and workgroup input.
• Identify trends and lead investigations to resolve packaging-related concerns from regulators, retail stores, field QA teams, or internal and external customers.
• Interface and influence suppliers and cross-functional teams, including internationally based teams, to deliver results within demanding timelines.
• Act as a Retail Food Packaging Product Safety and Quality system expert in the development of new packaging initiatives or operating practices.
• Apply in-depth technical knowledge to projects, including testing, supplier and product assessments, across a wide variety of single-use packaging materials (e.g., poly-coated paperboard, polypropylene, PLA, PHA, molded pulp, corrugate, containerboard, utensils).
• Provide general team support, with a focus on packaging specification and enterprise management.
• Offer manufacturing or process capability consulting as needed.

Requirements

• 3-5+ years of experience (more preferred) in developing and implementing quality programs, product standards, or manufacturer and supplier quality system auditing, with an emphasis on materials.
• Progressive experience managing the development and review of information required to comply with product safety and quality (3-5 years).
• Strong packaging and material science background, with an emphasis on plastics, pulp, and paper (3-5 years).
• Basic understanding of Food Safety and Quality GFSI requirements.
• Knowledge of Quality Management Systems, including HACCP, GMPs, ISO, GFSI, and BRC complaint standards (required).
• Proficiency in Smartsheet and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Experience with food contact packaging (paper, plastic, compostable fiber, etc.), disposable cups and lids, and non-food contact packaging.

Skills

• Retail Packaging Application (emphasis in plastics, pulp, and paper) – 3+ years.
• Strong communication – 3+ years.
• Collaborative with attention to detail.
• Interpreting QA task protocols as needed.

Nice-to-Haves

• Technical knowledge of poly-coated paperboard (hot cups), polypropylene (PP cups and lids), polylactic acid (PLA), poly-hydroxyalkanoic acids (PHA), molded pulp, corrugate, containerboard, and utensils.
• Lean Six Sigma experience.

BA preferred, but open to experience-based candidates. Location: Seattle, WA (onsite preferred; remote may be an option). Duration: 6+ months.