Packaging Engineer

Role: Packaging Engineer

Location: Jonesboro, Arkansas - Onsite

Job Type: Fulltime

Salary: $110K to $120K with benefits

1. Project Background

· Client is planning a brownfield expansion at its Jonesboro, Arkansas facility.

· The plant operates within the Beauty and Wellbeing division, manufacturing products such as Dove shampoos and conditioners and Vaseline petroleum jelly.

· The expansion will increase production capacity for premium shampoos and conditioners.

· The Packaging Engineer will support the project from equipment conceptualization and selection through procurement, FAT/SAT, installation, commissioning, ramp-up and production handover.

2. Must-Have Technical Skills

· The primary requirement is packaging machinery engineering, not packaging material design.

· Candidates should have hands-on experience with the selection, specification, installation and commissioning of packaging equipment.

Relevant equipment includes:

· Filling machines

· Capping machines

· Case packers

· Bottle and jar unscramblers

· Palletizers

· Labeling machines

· Date and label coders

· Rigid packaging equipment

· Exposure to tube and flexible pouch packaging is an added advantage.

3. Industry Background

Priority order for sourcing:

1. FMCG / consumer goods — highest preference.

2. Food and beverage manufacturing — highly relevant.

3. Pharmaceutical manufacturing — acceptable if the candidate has relevant packaging machinery experience.

4. Medical devices or other manufacturing industries — can be considered, but only if the candidate has strong, hands-on experience with packaging equipment, qualification and commissioning.

Candidates with only packaging material design experience are not suitable.

4. End-to-End Project Responsibilities

Project phase

Expected experience

Equipment conceptualization:

Understand production requirements and identify appropriate packaging machinery.

Requirements gathering:

Collaborate with Production, Quality, R&D and Engineering teams.

URS preparation:

Develop a User Requirement Specification (URS) defining machine functionality, capacity, pack sizes and technical requirements.

OEM coordination:

Identify equipment suppliers, communicate requirements and obtain quotations.

Technical evaluation:

Compare vendor proposals and assess equipment against project requirements.

Procurement support:

Prepare technical and commercial comparisons to support vendor selection and purchase orders.

FAT / SAT:

Define acceptance criteria and participate in Factory Acceptance Testing and Site Acceptance Testing.

Installation and commissioning:

Coordinate OEMs, contractors, utilities and equipment installation.

Production ramp-up:

Support gradual increases in machine speed to reach design capacity.

Handover:

Coordinate with Production and Quality for equipment approval and production readiness.

5. Specific Technical Expectations/ Skills required:

· Experience preparing URS documents for packaging machinery.

· Understanding of OEM selection and vendor technical evaluations.

· Experience conducting or supporting FAT and SAT.

· Knowledge of machine utilities, including compressed air and electrical power requirements.

· Ability to coordinate equipment installation, commissioning and production ramp-up.

· Understanding of equipment capacity, operating speed and different bottle/jar pack sizes.

· Ability to coordinate with multidisciplinary teams and external equipment suppliers.

· Strong communication skills and the ability to manage technical discussions with vendors.

6. What the Client Is NOT Looking For

Packaging Material Design Engineers

· Candidates focused on selecting or designing plastics, bottles, jars, cardboard cases, cartons, blanks or other packaging materials are not the target profile.

Civil Engineers

· Civil expertise is not required. The candidate should be able to obtain equipment load information from the OEM and coordinate with the site's engineering team as needed.

Printing Specialists

· Extensive printing expertise is unnecessary. The relevant scope is limited mainly to date coding and label coding associated with packaging lines.