R&D Packaging Specialist

R&D Packaging Specialist
Corby
Hours - Monday to Friday full time (40 hrs)
Salary - £35 to £40k DOE

Are you a packaging specialist who enjoys turning ideas into real-world products?

We're working with an innovative and growing organisation that is looking for an R&D Packaging Specialist to join its technical team.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone with experience in packaging development, materials, product development or manufacturing who enjoys working on projects from initial concept through to trials, validation and commercialisation.

You'll play an important role in developing and improving products, packaging materials and manufacturing processes, working closely with teams across Operations, Engineering, Quality, Procurement and external suppliers.

The role would suit someone who combines strong technical knowledge with a practical, hands-on approach and who enjoys finding solutions to complex technical and operational challenges.

THE ROLE

As an R&D Packaging Specialist, you'll be responsible for supporting and leading development activities across new and existing products, with a particular focus on packaging, materials, packing processes and continuous improvement.

You'll be involved in projects from early development through to commercialisation, helping ensure that solutions are technically robust, compliant, commercially viable and suitable for manufacturing.

Your responsibilities will include:

Leading packaging, material, product and process development activities.
Supporting new product development and wider R&D projects from concept through to commercialisation.
Acting as a technical point of contact for packaging materials, processes, specifications, trials and performance requirements.
Identifying new materials, technologies, processes and innovation opportunities.
Working with suppliers, attending relevant industry events and collaborating with internal teams to identify new technical solutions.
Coordinating laboratory, pilot and production trials.
Supporting validation, scale-up, technology transfer and operational readiness activities.
Working closely with Operations and Engineering to ensure new solutions can be effectively implemented into manufacturing.
Ensuring products, materials, processes, packaging systems and technical documentation meet relevant regulatory, customer, quality and manufacturing requirements.
Supporting sustainability, efficiency and continuous improvement initiatives.
Contributing to troubleshooting and lifecycle management activities.
Investigating technical, operational and data-related issues and helping identify effective solutions.
Supporting out-of-specification investigations where required.
Producing clear and accurate technical documentation and reports.
Working collaboratively with Quality, Procurement, Operations, Engineering and external suppliers.WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

We're looking for someone with a genuine interest in packaging, materials and product development, who is comfortable working in a technical and project-focused environment.

You will ideally have:

A degree in Packaging Technology, Materials Science, Polymer Science, Engineering or a related discipline.
Alternatively, strong relevant industrial experience may be considered.
Experience within packaging development, materials, manufacturing or R&D.
Strong planning and organisational skills.
Experience coordinating technical projects or development activities.
Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
The ability to identify technical challenges and develop practical, structured solutions.
Strong technical writing and documentation skills.
Good Microsoft Office skills.EXPERIENCE THAT WOULD BE ADVANTAGEOUS

Experience in any of the following areas would be particularly beneficial:

Flow-wrap manufacturing
Polymer technology
Raw material manufacturing processes
Packaging line trials
Packaging validation
Technology transfer
Scale-up and commercialisation
GMP or other regulated manufacturing environments
Project management
Supplier collaboration and technical supplier management
Continuous improvement and sustainability projectsTraining will be provided, so if you have a strong technical foundation and the right attitude, we'd be interested in hearing from you.

WHAT KIND OF PERSON WILL SUCCEED?

We're looking for someone who is:

Innovative and curious
Technically minded and analytical
Practical and solutions-focused
Organised and able to manage multiple priorities
Flexible and adaptable
Quality conscious
Self-motivated and reliable
Positive and professional
Comfortable working collaboratively
Confident communicating with different stakeholders
Committed to continuous improvementYou'll need to be comfortable working within a quality-focused environment and following appropriate GMP, GLP, health, safety and environmental requirements.

This is a great opportunity to join an organisation where you can have a genuine influence on new product development, packaging innovation and manufacturing improvement.

You'll work across multiple functions and have the opportunity to develop your technical expertise while contributing to projects that move from initial concept through to real-world commercial production.

If you're a packaging or materials specialist who enjoys solving problems, developing new ideas and seeing projects through to implementation, this could be an excellent next step in your career