Packaging Development Manager

About the role

The Packaging Development Manager is a manager-level individual contributor responsible for technical ownership and execution of Barr Brands's plastic bottles, metal cans and dispensing packaging systems (bottles, closures, trigger sprayers (including aerosol), and molded plastic devices components) that interact with chemical formulations. This role is accountable for driving current business packaging performance improvements and ensuring packaging solutions perform reliably for consumers and run robustly on manufacturing and packing lines.

Responsibilities

• Own and drive performance, robustness, and manufacturability improvements for existing bottle, closure, trigger sprayer, and dispensing/device systems, including issue resolution, complaint reduction, and continuous improvement initiatives across the portfolio (notably Mold Armor, Spray and Forget, and CitriStrip bottle platforms).
• Partner with Operations, QA/QC, and manufacturing partners to improve line performance and quality, including supporting trials and changes that improve runnability, reduce scrap or downtime, and strengthen dimensional control against approved tolerances.
• Lead supplier technical engagement to execute improvements, ensure accountability, and deliver validated outcomes.
• Apply practical understanding of packaging tolerances, critical-to-quality dimensions, inspection plans, and quality control methods to diagnose defects, prevent recurrence, and ensure components consistently meet functional and manufacturing requirements.
• Own accountability for maintaining and updating internal packaging specification systems, including controlled specifications, drawings, component records, and change documentation.
• Maintain packaging master data integrity and enable clean cross-functional execution using SpecRight and Microsoft Dynamics 365 (D365).
• Ensure specifications and drawings define appropriate dimensional tolerances, critical quality attributes, acceptance criteria, inspection methods, and change-control requirements for packaging components and systems.
• Own the current and future evolution of the Home Armor Wand packaging and device system, driving on-going performance improvements and enabling future upgrades through disciplined technical execution and supplier co-development.
• Partner with R&D (chemistry and performance specifications) to ensure package/formulation compatibility and consumer-relevant performance; translate performance requirements into packaging/device technical requirements and validation plans.
• Lead supplier co-development and governance for new or upgraded packaging components: coordinate prototyping, tooling, technical reviews, and iterative design improvements to meet functional, aesthetic, and cost requirements.
• Design and execute qualification/validation plans for bottle + dispensing/device systems using a combination of external testing capabilities and internal testing resources; author and maintain packaging test methods and specifications.
• Support secondary packaging (e.g., cartons, shippers, displays, bundling, protective packaging) and tertiary packaging (e.g., pallet patterns, unitization, stretch wrap, distribution robustness) as required to enable efficient warehousing and transportation.
• Identify and evaluate responsible packaging opportunities where feasible (material optimization, lightweighting, recyclability improvements, PCR evaluation) while maintaining performance, compliance, and supply robustness.

Requirements

• Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Packaging Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related technical discipline.
• 5+ years of progressive Packaging R&D / Packaging Development experience in CPG or adjacent packaged goods industries, with demonstrated ownership from concept through commercialization and post-launch improvement.
• Proven experience developing plastic bottle and dispensing systems, including trigger sprayers, closures, and/or molded plastic device components.
• Demonstrated experience with packaging that interfaces with chemical formulations, including material compatibility considerations and performance validation.
• Experience supporting or leading secondary and tertiary packaging to enable efficient distribution performance.
• Strong track record leading supplier co-development and cross-functional execution (Sourcing, Ops, QA/QC, Regulatory, Artwork, Commercial).

Qualifications

• Working knowledge of dimensional tolerancing, critical-to-quality attributes, quality control plans, component inspection methods, and supplier/manufacturing quality systems as applied to packaging components and dispensing systems.
• Experience with specification management and ERP systems (e.g., SpecRight, D365) or comparable systems.
• Experience with CAPE, SolidWorks and ESKO Graphic is a plus.
• Understanding DOT packaging regulations.
• Experience working in or closely with manufacturing environments, including line trials and technical troubleshooting.
• Familiarity guiding CAD workflows (internal and supplier/external) and using structured problem-solving approaches for performance/quality improvements.
• Experience using tolerance analysis, quality data, inspection results, statistical process control, capability analysis, gauge/measurement systems, and root-cause problem solving to improve packaging robustness, supplier capability, and manufacturing consistency.