Description:
We are excited to be looking for our next Packaging Technologist based at our Yatala manufacturing site. In this business-critical role, you will be responsible for developing and implementing efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable packaging solutions for our pet food products.
You will work closely with cross-functional teams, including R&D, marketing, production, and supply chain, to ensure that packaging aligns with product requirements, regulatory standards, and company objectives.
Reporting to our Packaging Manager you will be a part of an innovative national team that is highly collaborative and takes pride in seeking new opportunities and product development that improves and enhances how we package our products in a market-leading and environmentally sustainable way.
You may be a junior Pack-Tech or work in Operations or Procurement and are keen to take the next step with your career – what is essential is an ability to work in an environment that is fast paced but can have layers of ambiguity. You are known to be a go-getter who can be optimistic, driven and work unsupervised. And if you don’t have all the skills at the moment, we are happy to teach you if you have the right attitude!
Let's break it down! Key Responsibilities in the role include:
- Packaging Development: Design and develop innovative, practical, and sustainable packaging solutions that meet the needs of our pet food products while ensuring product safety, freshness, and integrity.
- Material Selection: Evaluate and recommend packaging materials based on product requirements, cost, sustainability, and production capabilities.
- Supplier Management: Work closely with packaging suppliers to ensure the timely delivery of packaging materials, monitor quality control, and manage packaging trials and testing.
- Process Optimization: Identify opportunities to improve packaging efficiency in production processes, reduce waste, and improve overall cost-effectiveness.
- Sustainability Initiatives: Collaborate on the development and implementation of sustainable packaging solutions, aligning with the company's sustainability goals.
- Regulatory Compliance: Ensure that packaging meets all relevant regulations, including labelling, safety standards, and food-grade requirements.
- Troubleshooting: Address any packaging-related issues in the production process, working cross-functionally to implement solutions.
- Product Launch Support: Provide packaging support for new product launches, ensuring packaging designs and functionality meet product timelines and marketing objectives.
- Market Trends & Innovations: Stay up-to-date with the latest trends in packaging technologies, materials, and sustainability practices within the pet food and food industry.
To be able to hit the ground running, you will ideally have:
- Ideally you are currently working in a Pack-Tech role but if you have the right attitude and are keen to step into Packaging Technology, we want to hear from you!
- An understanding of packaging technologies, materials, and processes, including but not limited to flexible, rigid, and sustainable packaging formats is great but we are happy to teach you if you have the right attitude and willingness to learn.
- Ability to work unsupervised and in a deadline driven environment
- Strong problem-solving and analytical skills
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to work collaboratively in a cross-functional team environment.
- Bachelor's degree in Packaging Engineering, Materials Science, Food Science, or a related field would be great but isn’t essential.
- Relevant certifications in packaging technology or sustainability (e.g., ISTA, WPO) would be advantageous.