Packaging Engineer – Product Packaging

About Convatec: Pioneering trusted medical solutions to improve the lives we touch. Convatec is a global medical products and technologies company, focused on solutions for the management of chronic conditions, with leading positions in Advanced Wound Care, Ostomy Care, Continence Care, and Infusion Care. With more than 10,000 colleagues, we provide our products and services in around 90 countries, united by a promise to be forever caring.

The role: The Packaging Engineer is responsible for designing, developing, and implementing effective packaging solutions that ensure product safety and compliance with industry standards. This role involves collaboration with various teams to create innovative, cost-effective packaging designs that meet both consumer needs and regulatory requirements.

Responsibilities

• Design and Development: Create packaging designs that protect products during transportation, storage, and handling. Utilize various materials such as cardboard, plastic, and metal.
• Testing and Analysis: Conduct testing to assess the durability, safety, and environmental impact of packaging solutions. Analyze data to inform design improvements.
• Collaboration: Work closely with cross-functional teams including R&D, manufacturing, supply chain, and marketing to ensure packaging meets product specifications and consumer expectations.
• Material Selection: Evaluate and select appropriate packaging materials that minimize waste while ensuring product safety.
• Documentation: Maintain detailed documentation of packaging designs, specifications, and testing protocols to ensure compliance with industry regulations.
• Continuous Improvement: Monitor industry trends and innovations to implement best practices in packaging design and processes.

Business Impact as a Packaging Engineer: Achieve operational targets that significantly impact departmental results. Independently manage large, moderately complex projects and assignments. Potentially set day-to-day operational objectives for the team.

Communication as a Packaging Engineer (with general supervision): Cross-Functional Collaboration, Technical Writing, Active Listening, Presentation Skills, Mentorship and Guidance, Teamwork.

Key Responsibilities

• Perform as One Team: Manage moderate to large projects or processes with occasional support from your manager.
• Lead department improvement projects with minimal support.
• Collaborate with senior-level professionals and managers (with general supervision) to define departmental strategy.
• Take responsibility and accountability for product packaging aspects within assigned projects.
• Actively engage in collaborations to align strategies.
• Be accountable for specific assigned actions and may oversee entire projects.
• Be recognized by peers as a leader who takes ownership of assigned actions and projects.

Authority

Ability to act independently within projects with minimal supervision.

Skills & Experience

• Knowledge of ESG Principles, Value Engineering and Cost-Initiatives would be desirable.
• Experience of Product & Process Validation activities.
• Demonstrable experience of on-time delivery of complex technical projects and activities.
• Building productive relationships with external parties (e.g. design houses and contract development and manufacturing organisations (CDMO’s).
• Applying a range of statistical techniques incl. Design of Experiments (DoE) to product / process development activities.
• Highly structured, ability to progress tasks in parallel, and proven problem-solving skills.
• The ability to communicate effectively in Technical English (verbal and written) is essential.
• Understanding of basic ‘graphic artwork development’ and printing techniques such as off-set litho, digital, flexography, gravure etc.
• Highly computer literate i.e. Microsoft Office (Outlook, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint).

Qualifications/Education

• Bachelor degree in a STEM subject with +3 years relevant industry experience.
• (Optional) Master degree in a STEM subject with minimum 1 years of relevant industry experience.
• (Optional) Industry relevant professional certification.

Team

This position will not have direct reports or line management responsibilities. Line management will be within the department reporting to the Manager – Product Packaging. This position may have indirect reports to support junior team members. Project work will be undertaken in collaboration with the Packaging & Labelling or wider business Project Managers.

Principal Contacts & Purpose of Contact

The nature of this role will require the individual to deal with a wide range of contacts at different levels of seniority within the organization. In addition, the individual will deal with contacts external to the organization where these may be external companies or government agencies.

Travel Requirements

Position may involve travel up to 25% of the time, mostly within Europe but overseas travel is expected. Most trips will include overnight travel.

Working Conditions

This may be based in any manufacturing site within Convatec business with a hybrid working structure. There is no specific requirement for fixed days on site, but project and department activities shall be supported in appropriate locations.