SUMMARY
Home Market Foods (HMF) is a dynamic enterprise that has become the market leader in a number of prepared meat-based meal and snack categories. The company has grown substantially across its markets through excellence in innovation, manufacturing, and customer service. This success has been nurtured by its ownership group and an expanding team of world-class executives. HMF is building on this track record through complementary acquisitions and a growing number of business development initiatives. HMF's business model is poised to continue to thrive and offer greater opportunities for its customers and team.
We are based in Norwood, Massachusetts, which is comfortably within the Boston metropolitan area. HMF's facilities include a state-of-the-art plant, and R&D facility, as well as warehouse and Corporate functions. We are focused on continued growth and are executing against various initiatives that include additional product lines, new sales channels, greater penetration of our extensive customer relationships, as well as opportunistic acquisitions. Our success is directly dependent on attracting and retaining the best possible talent across our functions. To this end, we are posting for a strong Packaging Engineer.
Home Market Foods is looking for a senior level Packaging Engineer. The Packaging Engineer is responsible for developing and implementing an overall packaging management strategy at Home Market Foods; this includes initial product development, procurement cost savings initiatives, and supply chain optimization. This individual needs to be willing to create new processes from scratch and can influence others and drive for results. This person will find themselves integrated into activity management, supply chain, production, and procurement. Must be able to work with autonomy and be able to identify opportunities and implement countermeasures to capture savings. This role will help drive CPG food packaging initiatives and identify the way packaging can be leveraged to drive sales. We are looking for an individual that is interested in taking on a large challenge and building a packaging optimization program to create overall value to the business.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Oversee and manage complete packaging development process, including the creation of packaging structure designs, prototype development, and performance testing.
- Collaborate directly with production managers and floor employees to drive Continuous Improvement Projects.
- Create detailed packaging specifications and packaging BOM (Bill of Materials).
- Work with the manufacturing department to ensure that the packaging designs are optimized for manufacturability.
- Develop packaging risk assessments and contingency plans (as needed).
- Manage the end-to-end packaging artwork and graphics review process.
- Responsible for validation protocols, packaging specifications, pallet patterns, sales specifications, and BOM’s in line with internal standards.
- Develop package / product compatibility test protocols for shelf life studies
- Participate on cross-functional teams, to deliver packaging for new/revised products to market including providing training to floor personnel on new equipment and new materials.
- Identify and implement cost saving initiatives related to packaging materials, labor, efficiency, transportation, and storage.
- Specify and recommend efficiency tools and test methods to develop and validate packaging designs.
- Partner closely with packaging vendors in ensuring specifications and timelines are met
- Bring forth innovative packaging solutions for new and current products, as well as explore new vendor partnership
- Troubleshoot new and existing packaging problems involving designs, materials and processes and provide creative, timely, and cost-effective solutions.
- Analyze engineering drawings and specifications of product to determine physical characteristics of item, special handling, environmental and safety requirements, and types of materials required for packaging.
- Must be able to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
Education and/or Experience:
- Bachelors in Packaging Engineering or related field
- 5+ years consumer packaged goods experience, ideally in a food manufacturing environment
- Strong experience managing projects and/or leading a team in a cross-functional environment
- Solid communication and interpersonal skills
- Ability to prioritize projects and produce high quality and quantity output that adds value to the company
WORK ENVIRONMENT
- Our production floor consists of cold/hot/moisture rich environments (temperatures varying from 28-40F, cook operations -100F, Freezers -10 to more than 110F during Sanitation procedures
- You must be able to stand for prolonged periods of time
- You must be comfortable working in close proximity to our industrial X-RAY process
- You must be comfortable wearing PPE (personal protective equipment) consisting of hard had, safety glasses, mask, hearing protection,
