Principal Packaging Engineer

At Utz, we're passionate about creating delicious snack foods that consumers know and love. For more than a century, our strong family heritage has helped shape who we are today, with a diverse portfolio of brands including Utz, Zapp's, Boulder Canyon, and On The Border. Our associates are at the heart of our success. That's why we're committed to creating a supportive, caring, and inclusive environment where people can grow, make an impact, and build rewarding careers. We also offer a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision coverage, a 401(k) with employer match, profit sharing, an employee stock purchase plan, and much more. The Opportunity: Principal Packaging Engineer The Principal Packaging Engineer is the senior technical leader of the Packaging Development department, setting technical standards and direction for packaging across all company brands while remaining hands-on in the department's most complex and highest-impact work. Working in partnership with the Director, Packaging Development, who manages the department, this role shapes packaging strategy and the technology roadmap, leads critical cross-functional initiatives, and serves as the customer-facing and supplier-facing technical authority. The Principal Packaging Engineer mentors and develops the engineering team, establishes best practices, and recommends process improvements and investments to department leadership. What You'll Do: Serve as the senior technical authority for the packaging engineering team; establish and maintain packaging standards, specification templates, test protocols, and design practices across brands. Partner with the Director, Packaging Development to define packaging strategy, the technology roadmap, and departmental priorities; recommend capability, tooling, and resourcing investments. Remain hands-on as the technical lead for the department's most complex, highest-risk, and highest-visibility packaging projects, from ideation through first production. Lead new item development to include packaging design, vendor sourcing, and initial pricing; in response to manufacturing/sales/customer requirements, develop physical pack outs, bag/box/barrel sizing, palletization reports, and finalized packaging specs. Lead cross-functional teams to commercialize packaging/product innovations, aligning Sales, Manufacturing, Procurement, and Engineering on technical approach, timing, and risk. Mentor and coach packaging engineers and perform technical peer review to drive right-first-time performance and ensure accuracy of documentation delivered to customers; contribute to onboarding and development of team members. Serve as the escalation point for complex packaging defects and failures; lead root cause analysis and corrective action with manufacturing and supplier teams. Act as the customer-facing technical expert for a broad product portfolio, representing the company in customer technical reviews and presentations. Investigate, evaluate, and qualify new packaging technologies, formats, materials, and systems; lead pilots and trials and develop the business case for adoption. Drive automation, cost reduction, value creation, and sustainability initiatives; partner with Procurement to provide estimated costing for packaging components and to shape supplier strategy. Build and maintain strong technical relationships with key packaging suppliers; lead supplier technical qualification and performance improvement. Work with Engineering and Procurement on the specification, selection, and trialing of new packaging equipment and packaging specifications. Collaborate with manufacturing to discover packaging efficiencies and reduce downtime; become an expert in the manufacturing facilities and capabilities on covered brands (supported by travel and plant visits as business needs arise). Interpret test results to verify packaging specifications/compliance, and review current packaging specifications, design, and performanc…

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