Packaging Engineer - Urgent Need

Location: Franklin Lakes, NJ • Duration: 12 months • Schedule: 40 hours/week, 1st shift • Pay: $30–40/hr • Employment type: W2 contract (US citizens, GC holders, GC EAD, OPT, EAD, or CPT)

About the role

The individual in this position will serve as a Packaging subject-matter expert (SME) supporting the design, development, verification, and validation of sterile medical-device packaging (e.g., sterile barrier systems) under the Enterprise Cost-To-Win (eCTW) Program for the client’s Specimen Management business. The role involves guiding packaging initiatives to meet cost-savings and continuous-improvement objectives, collaborating across functions, and occasionally leading projects.

Responsibilities

• Act as Packaging SME on cross-functional teams to drive packaging strategy and alignment with best practices.
• Design and engineer robust, manufacturable packaging using experience, engineering first principles, advanced methods, and critical thinking.
• Collaborate with Manufacturing and other teams to propose, assess, and implement packaging designs, materials, and processes through rigorous Design Control.
• Develop, write, and execute packaging test methods, test fixtures, measurement systems analysis, protocols, data analysis, and reports for engineering studies, design verification, validation, material and component specifications.
• Lead hands-on benchtop studies, tolerance stack-up analysis, design verification, validation, vendor interactions, troubleshooting, and root-cause analysis to evaluate packaging performance and improvements.
• Perform statistical data analysis, generate reports, and present recommendations to peers and business leaders.
• Provide inputs for manufacturing sites on process validation, process capability, and customer issues.
• Support or lead material, packaging design, and process changes for existing products following design control processes.
• Demonstrate accountability for timely completion of tasks and projects.
• Collect, record, interpret, and analyze data, presenting results to leadership.
• Provide advanced engineering support to build business cases for new opportunities.
• Ensure compliance with client quality policies, procedures, and practices through communication, training, and education on quality assurance principles.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD in Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline.
• Strength in scientific and engineering fundamentals, critical thinking, systematic problem-solving, business acumen, and learning agility.
• Working knowledge of packaging industry standards and regulations, including:
  • Packaging Engineering Design (medical-device sterile packaging)
  • Packaging materials (flexible and rigid) and sterilization processes
  • Packaging and labeling testing methods (PTS)
  • High-volume regulated manufacturing (ISO 11607/ASTM D4169, ISO 13485/21 CFR Part 820)
• Experience with forming/sealing processes and tooling for hard/soft blister packs, thermoplastics, reinforced paper, shrink wraps, flow wraps, automatic case/carton erection, labeling (materials, adhesives, inks, printing), UDI compliance, and barcode printing/decoding.
• Proficiency in designing all levels of packaging with consideration for safety, processing, environment, and shipment logistics.
• Technical judgment, leadership, and disciplined phase-gate product development.
• Strong project management, prioritization, and multitasking skills for tight deadlines.
• Understanding of Measurement Systems Analysis (MSA) and proficiency with statistical methods (DoE, Minitab).
• Proficiency in solid CAD modeling (Creo, SolidWorks, or equivalent) and design for manufacturability (injection molding, assemblies).
• Experience with fixture design, machining considerations, and test-method development.
• Knowledge of Six Sigma (DMAIC) and Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) methodologies.
• R&D functional planning, requirement generation, and technical reviews (DFSS/Design/Cross-functional).
• Strong creative, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred: TOPS or similar pallet-configuration tool, FEA/CFD modeling, Certified Packaging Professional (IoPP).