Director of Packaging, R&D

At Utz Brands, we're passionate about delighting consumers with bold flavors, innovative products, and high-quality snacks that bring people together. With more than 100 years of heritage and a portfolio of beloved brands including Utz®, Zapp's®, Boulder Canyon®, and On The Border®, we're on a mission to become the fastest-growing pure-play snack food company in the United States.

The Director of Packaging R&D has leadership responsibilities for the packaging department including departmental oversight, project work, direct management of junior packaging developers, and cross functional collaboration across all Utz Brands products. You will serve as the strategic packaging leader for the organization, guiding packaging development efforts from concept through commercialization while building the packaging capabilities needed to support continued business growth.

What You'll Do:

• Leads and supervises packaging department operations.
• Key partner to organization for all packaging related projects and programs.
• Manages direct reports to execute against project objectives in a timely and professional manner.
• Partners with cross functional departments such as Procurement, Manufacturing and Brand to advance initiatives.
• Leads pipeline build for Innovation/Value Creation opportunities and tracks/reports against progress and programs.
• Prioritizes resources and effectively allocates team against initiatives.
• Develops and supports technical growth for packaging team.
• Creates and implements best practices to enable effective packaging development.
• Owns and leads select projects/initiatives.
• Manages new item development to include packaging, vendor sourcing, and initial pricing.
• Develops physical pack outs, pack sizing, palletization reports, and finalized packaging specs.
• Generation of product + package assembly guides for external teams.
• Become a subject matter expert in the Utz packaging manufacturing capabilities and structures.
• Interprets test results to verify / approve packaging specifications, performance, and compliance.
• Investigates new packaging technologies, formats, materials, systems, etc. and recommends applications.
• Supports corporate Sustainability initiatives.
• Collaborates with other R&D departments such as Product Development and Regulatory.
• Collaborates and partners with packaging suppliers as needed to advance initiatives.
• Performs other duties as assigned that will impact and support the overall outcome of the company and department objectives.

What You'll Bring:

Education

• Bachelor’s in Packaging Science or Materials/Design related degree or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.

Experience

• 10-15 years’ packaging development experience in consumer packaged goods, preferably food and beverage industries.

Skills

• Knowledgeable in a wide range of packaging forms, including corrugated, injection blow-molded PET, paperboard, flexible films.
• Demonstrated leadership and team building competencies.
• Ability to think critically and exercise complex problem-solving skills while also simplifying information to drive decisions.
• Excellent verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills.
• Able to be self-directed, forward thinking and make complex decisions that drive business innovation and performance.
• Comfort supporting recommendations and findings to manager and cross-functional teams.
• Excellent time and project management skills with proven ability to manage and prioritize multiple, concurrent projects.

External Recruitment Process:

• Easy Application (5 mins): Introduce yourself and answer a few key questions to get started.
• Engaging Chat Interview (20-25 mins): Share your experiences in an online chat, highlighting how your values align with ours.
• Live Interview: Selected candidates will meet with the hiring manager to explore their alignment with the team and overall Utz company culture.

Why Utz?

We believe in taking care of our people. Our benefits include:

• Medical, dental, and vision plans
• Employer-matched 401(k) and profit sharing
• Wellness resources, support programs, onsite gym and healthcare center
• Career growth opportunities in a supportive, inclusive environment
• A culture built on innovation, teamwork, and recognition

Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.