Overview

Packaging Engineers design packaging materials for food, animal health care, and other agricultural products such as chemicals, pesticides, and seed. 

What responsibilities will I have?

• Utilize computer and mechanical design tools to create packaging products
• Evaluate current packaging and create cost improvement strategies for both existing and new package designs
• Review preliminary production samples, and provide feedback to vendors on improvements
• Communicate and coordinate with internal creative graphic designers, industrial designers, product engineers, global and regional marketing stakeholders, creative agencies and vendors
• Knowledge of packaging and shipping test methods to assure packaging performance meets shipping stresses
• Leverage fundamental engineering, math, computer skills in the development of practical solutions to technical problems
• Execute packaging experiments and plant trials
• Be knowledgeable of packaging equipment/machinery capabilities and actively participates in equipment selection process and evaluation
• Write packaging and/or raw material portion of new or revises existing finished product specifications
• Knowledge of food packaging principles, food industry quality and food safety requirements, ingredient performance and interactions with equipment, statistical process control, critical control points and new product scale up dynamics
• Inspect packages to determine if packaging meets customer specifications
• Ensure that finished product quality, food safety, and overall sanitation procedures and practices are meeting specification or standards
• Find ways to improve efficiency in the packaging process

What education and training is required?

A bachelor’s degree in packing science, engineering, logistics, or food science is required for a job as a packaging engineer.     

To pursue a career as packaging engineer:

The following high school courses are recommended:  agricultural education, physics, computer courses, biology and mathematics.   

Where can I work?

Food, chemical, and seed production companies hire packaging engineers to design packaging for their products.

Future Job Market / Outlook

The future outlook for a packaging supervisor will be great over the next five years. 

Suggested Professional Organizations and Associations

• Flexible Packaging Association
• Institute of Packaging Professionals
• National Food Processors Association