Packaging Engineer, R&D - Post Consumer Brands

Headquartered in Lakeville, Minn., Post Consumer Brands, a business unit of Post Holdings, Inc., is dedicated to providing people and their pets with delicious food choices for every taste and budget. The company’s portfolio includes beloved brands such as Honey Bunches of Oats®, PEBBLES®, Grape-Nuts® and Malt-O-Meal® cereal, and Peter Pan® peanut butter, as well as Rachael Ray® Nutrish®, Kibbles ‘n Bits® and 9Lives® dog and cat food. As a company committed to high standards of quality and to our values, we are driven by one idea: To make lives better by making delicious food accessible for all. For more information about our brands, visit www.postconsumerbrands.com and follow us on LinkedIn for the latest news.

Post Consumer Brands recently acquired several iconic pet food brands, venturing into a new market while remaining true to our purpose to provide delicious and accessible food that our consumers love. We’re always searching the center store for the next exciting product to add to our portfolio, and right now, we’re growing and need passionate, driven individuals with diverse perspectives to help us reach greater heights. That’s where you come in. Join a team where your voice is not only heard but valued. Make a real impact on brands enjoyed by millions of people and their pets.

Post Consumer Brands corporate headquarters in Lakeville, Minn. is about 20 miles south of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Lakeville has all the benefits of smaller town living with access to everything a large metropolitan area has to offer. Join more than 400 team members collaborating on the two-building campus to help put breakfast on the tables of millions of consumers in North America. 

In this role you will use your knowledge in Packaging Science or Engineering to perform basic and critical experimental work of applied research and/or development, including planning experiments, generating, and analyzing data. Individuals plan and execute a broad range of technical tasks. Your work is typically “hands on”, in a lab, in a plant or pilot plant, at a critical site, on a computer or with consumers.

Location: this position offers hybrid flexiblity out of our corporate campus in Lakeville, MN

Primary responsibilities will include:  

• Provide innovative ideas leading to the application of new packaging technologies and solving packaging related challenges.
• Design, develop and implement new packaging, utilizing formats such as film/laminate, paperboard, Steel/Aluminum metal cans, corrugated, thermoforming, and injection molding.
• Define and conduct package development testing to ensure readiness for production, distribution, package stability, shelf life and consumer use.
• Collaborate with Products Research, Creative Services, Product Development, Brand Management, and suppliers in early-stage new package and/or new product design.
• Design and execute package qualifications with suppliers and production facilities.
• Plan, execute, analyze, and summarize plant trials, collaborating with Manufacturing and site technical resources.
• Create performance-based specifications for upload into electronic database specification system
• Advise and recommend equipment suppliers and service providers to cross functional organization in support of new product launches
• Learn to assess legal and environmental aspects, and patent opportunities for new packaging
• Support plant packaging organization as needed to resolve packaging supply chain or production technical issues.  

Education

• Bachelor of Science in Packaging Engineering or Packaging Science/Engineering, Mechanical Engineering.

Experience

• 1-3 years of package development or packaging technical support experience
• Package development process and testing from concept to implementation experience
• Prior experience in the CPG industry preferred
• Prior experience in human food or Pet food industry a plus
• Experienced in Flexible Packaging technologies.
• Large Format Paper bags and/or Poly woven bags
• Flexible packaging (Roll stock, Pre-made pouches)
• Primary & Secondary containment (paper board and corrugated) a plus.
• Rigid plastic and metal cans knowledge a plus.   

What we are looking for:

• Experience in Package Development or Plant Operations for packaging support.
• (Internship and/or full-time employment)
• Experience in Food Packaging industry preferred.
• Able to quickly learn and navigate various systems, staying up-to-date with the latest tools and platforms.
• Effective presentation, verbal, and written communication skills.
• Knowledge of basic package qualification test procedures (CQV, plant & equipment qualification)
• Project management experience is highly valued, as individual will collaborate cross functionally to manage costs, schedules, and resources for the work.
• Strong organizational, critical thinking and creativity skills
• Effective presentation, verbal, and written communication skills
• Ability to lift 30lbs.
• Willingness to travel ~25% to Pet production facilities, suppliers, and other copackers required.
• Job location is onsite in Lakeville MN.
• Currently the role does offer a hybrid work model.