Mechanical Packaging Engineer, Life Sciences

About the role

This role is based in our Mason, Ohio office and requires onsite work five days a week. As a Mechanical Packaging Engineer – Life Sciences at SES, you will primarily focus on solving complex challenges in medical device and life sciences packaging systems, supporting products used in real-world environments, from clinical settings to in-home and self-care applications. In addition to regulated medical packaging, you will also contribute to industrial and consumer packaging projects, applying the same engineering rigor to improve packaging performance, durability, manufacturability, and cost efficiency across a broader range of products and distribution environments.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a technical partner to clients, with a primary focus on medical device and life sciences packaging, while supporting industrial and consumer packaging applications as needed
• Plan, execute, and interpret packaging validation and performance testing (e.g., distribution, integrity, functional testing) across regulated and non-regulated systems
• Evaluate packaging performance across manufacturing, sterilization (when applicable), distribution, and end-use environments
• Investigate and resolve packaging failures using structured root cause analysis, spanning both medical and industrial applications
• Apply engineering principles in materials, mechanics, data analysis, and system behavior
• Ensure alignment with regulated product requirements (FDA, ISO) while applying best practices to industrial packaging challenges
• Identify opportunities to optimize packaging designs for cost, manufacturability, and supply chain performance
• Communicate technical findings and recommendations clearly to clients and cross-functional teams
• Collaborate with suppliers, vendors, and internal stakeholders on packaging development and improvement efforts
• Manage multiple concurrent projects in a fast-paced, client-driven consulting environment

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Packaging, Plastics Engineering, or related field
• 5+ years of experience in medical device, life sciences, or regulated packaging environments (or strong adjacent experience)
• Strong foundation in engineering fundamentals (mechanics, materials, data analysis)
• Experience with packaging materials and performance testing methodologies
• Exposure to regulated environments (FDA or similar)
• Experience with manufacturing processes (injection molding, thermoforming, etc.)
• Demonstrated ability in troubleshooting and failure analysis
• Proficiency with CAD and general engineering tools
• Strong communication skills in a client-facing environment
• Ability to manage multiple priorities

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Mechanical, Packaging, Plastics Engineering, or related field
• Experience with medical device packaging validation, regulatory submissions, or standards
• Hands-on experience with distribution testing, material testing, and package integrity
• Familiarity with sterile barrier systems and healthcare packaging requirements
• Experience with modeling, simulation, or predictive analysis
• Programming or data analysis experience (e.g., Python)
• Cross-industry experience (life sciences + industrial/consumer packaging)
• Consulting or client-facing engineering experience
• Demonstrated project ownership or leadership experience
• PE license or progress toward licensure