Packaging Engineer

Who We Are

As a collection of brands including KIND, Nature’s Bakery, and trü frü within the Health and Wellness Division of Mars Snacking, we offer healthy snacking options to our consumers. We believe the choice to snack healthier should be an easy and desirable one, with real, recognizable ingredients in every bite. We’re on a mission to inspire everyone to snack better.

The Packaging Engineer will support all Health and Wellness Division capital and cost optimization projects across the KIND, Nature’s Bakery, and trü frü Business Units. This role is a project engineer/SME performing engineering activities including capital planning, user requirement development, feasibility engineering, project management, and installation initiatives. The Packaging Engineer will also support business initiatives around value leadership, sustainability, and manufacturing support.

Projects may include purchase and installation of capital assets, procurement and commissioning of new format parts, equipment upgrades/retrofits, and evaluation of new packaging materials. The role is both a project engineering and project management function with about an 80/20 split.

• Act as support for the Business Units and other key stakeholders for packaging projects.
• Strategic thinker, bringing an entrepreneurial spirit.
• Influence, facilitate groups with diverse perspectives, and bring teams to consensus and alignment.
• Work in a fast‑paced, rapidly changing environment and maintain a positive outlook.
• Demonstrate prudent judgment when making important decisions by utilizing industry best practices and current trends.
• Excellent planning, prioritization, and multi‑tasking skills.
• Provide guidance for engineering regarding design concepts, specifications and requirements to best utilize equipment and manufacturing processes in packaging.
• Lead project scope development and management.
• Collaborate with Finance to track capex budget spend, cash flow projections, and productivity cost savings justification.
• Publish project results and reputation.
• Conduct feasibility and costing studies.
• Develop and support capital spending plans.
• Understand manufacturing processes, identify areas where technology and automation can reduce cost or improve benefit.
• Build and manage interpersonal relationships for team effectiveness.
• Stay abreast of best practices, emerging manufacturing technologies, and recommend improvements.
• Collaborate with HSE and Food Safety/Quality teams to ensure compliance with Mars safety standards.
• Communicate daily activities to all stakeholders.
• Collaborate with external stakeholders to ensure priorities and standards are aligned.

• Technical equipment and material knowledge.
• Improvements to department and enterprise‑wide processes.
• Management of supplier relationships and awareness of industry trends.
• Networking with the global R&D community to share best practices.

• Execution of qualification and approval processes for new packaging, suppliers, or manufacturing locations.
• Well‑thought‑out trial plans, data collection, and result interpretation to drive technical knowledge forward.
• Proven problem‑solving with analytical thinking to identify root cause.
• Support pipeline development/validation/execution of packaging productivity projects.

• BS or MS degree in Packaging, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
• At least 4 years of relevant concept to launch experience.
• At least 4 years of package engineering, development and manufacturing qualification, start‑up, and new product projects.
• Strong foundational knowledge in packaging materials, processes, and equipment.
• Strong problem‑solving and analytical skills.
• Familiarity with activities in Marketing, Market Research, Legal/Regulatory, QA and Manufacturing.
• Ability to travel up to 30%.

Salary range: $85,000.00 – $ per year. Actual salary will depend on location, experience, skill set, performance, and business needs.

• Competitive salary, including target bonus and comprehensive benefits package.
• 401(k) plan with generous company match.
• Flexible paid time off.
• Exce…