Associate Packaging Engineer Jobs in Spartanburg, SC

New – 2026

AFL manufactures industry-leading fiber optic cable, connectivity and accessories and provides engineering and installation services for some of the largest telecom customers in the world. Our company was founded in 1984 with a single fiber optic cable and today, we manufacture thousands of products, generate an excess of $4B in revenue, and employ approximately 12,000 associates worldwide. At AFL, we recognize that our employees are our greatest asset. We hire and train each individual, investing in them to ensure success in their careers. With a commitment to professional development and growth, let us connect you to your next career opportunity.

What We Offer:

• Flexible time off policy
• 401K Company match (up to 4% - dollar for dollar)
• Professional development, training, and tuition reimbursement programs
• Excellent medical, dental, vision, and life insurance policy options
• Opportunities for career advancement with an industry leading company!

The Packaging Engineer IV is a senior-level engineering professional responsible for leading complex and high-impact packaging development, commercialization, optimization, and continuous-improvement initiatives supporting innovative fiber optic telecom products.

This position provides advanced technical expertise throughout the packaging lifecycle and independently leads complex packaging programs from concept through commercialization. The Packaging Engineer IV serves as a senior technical resource across the organization, influencing packaging strategy, material selection, supplier development, testing methodologies, sustainability initiatives, cost optimization, and manufacturing implementation.

• Lead the design and development of complex packaging solutions for new and existing products, ensuring alignment with functional, manufacturing, quality, cost, sustainability, customer, and regulatory requirements.
• Develop and approve advanced packaging designs, specifications, drawings, prototypes, bills of material, and technical documentation.
• Apply advanced packaging engineering principles to resolve complex product protection, transportation, manufacturing, material, and packaging performance challenges.
• Establish technical requirements and design criteria for complex packaging applications.
• Identify opportunities to standardize packaging designs, materials, and specifications across products and product families.

• Lead packaging activities for complex, high-impact product development and commercialization programs from concept through launch.
• Serve as the Packaging Engineering technical lead on major cross-functional initiatives.
• Lead packaging-related design reviews, stage-gate activities, risk assessments, technical reviews, and commercialization decisions.
• Establish project requirements, deliverables, timelines, technical risks, and mitigation strategies.
• Influence cross-functional teams and business partners without direct authority.

• Lead the evaluation and implementation of packaging materials, technologies, suppliers, and manufacturing processes.
• Identify emerging packaging materials and technologies that may improve performance, sustainability, cost, or manufacturing efficiency.
• Develop technical recommendations regarding material selection, conversion processes, packaging technologies, and supplier capabilities.
• Partner with Procurement and suppliers on strategic material and cost-reduction initiatives.

• Establish packaging validation strategies and testing requirements for complex products and applications.
• Lead advanced packaging testing, including drop, compression, vibration, transit simulation, environmental, and other applicable performance testing.
• Analyze complex packaging failures and lead root-cause investigations and corrective actions.
• Develop and improve packaging testing methodologies, acceptance criteria, and technical standards.

• Lead technical packaging activities with manufacturing operations, contract packaging partners, suppliers, and other business partners.
• Lead complex packaging trials, qualifications, validations, and implementation activities.
• Evaluate supplier technical capabilities and provide recommendations regarding packaging suppliers and contract manufacturers.
• Support packaging solutions across multiple manufacturing locations or product families as needed.

• Lead packaging engineering efforts supporting organizational sustainability objectives.
• Develop packaging solutions that reduce material consumption, waste, environmental impact, and overall packaging footprint.
• Evaluate sustainable packaging technologies and recommend opportunities for implementation.
• Ensure compliance with applicable global packaging regulations, environmental standards, labeling requirements, and customer expectations.

• Lead significant packaging cost-reduction, standardization, material-reduction, and process-improvement initiatives.
• Identify opportunities to improve packaging efficiency across products, product families, suppliers, and manufacturing operations.
• Develop technical and financial business cases supporting packaging improvement initiatives.
• Establish and promote packaging engineering best practices.

• Serve as a senior technical resource and subject-matter expert for packaging engineering.
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to Packaging Engineers, technicians, co-ops, and other technical team members.
• Review technical work and guide complex packaging engineering decisions.
• Support the development of engineering standards, procedures, tools, and best practices.
• Exercise significant independent engineering judgment when resolving complex technical issues.
• Adheres to and promotes the environmental, health & safety policies of AFL.

• Strong customer service orientation.
• Strong teamwork, collaboration, and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent written, listening, presentation, and oral communication skills.
• Ability to communicate technical concepts in both technical and business language.
• Innovative thinking and creative problem-solving abilities.
• Strong attention to detail and technical rigor.
• Strong project management, prioritization, and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated initiative, accountability, and ownership.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor and provide technical leadership to other technical professionals.

• Bachelor’s degree in Packaging Engineering, Packaging Science, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, or related field.
• Typically 8–15+ years of progressive packaging development, engineering, or related technical experience.
• Strong understanding of packaging materials, conversion processes, manufacturing technologies, packaging design principles, and packaging test protocols.
• Experience with applicable CAD tools such as SolidWorks and packaging specification systems.
• Strong analytical, technical problem-solving, project management, and communication skills.
• Experience working with suppliers, contract manufacturers, and/or global supply chains.
• Spanish language skills are desirable.

• Office environment with some exposure to factory/warehouse environments.
• Travel up to 20%, including international travel.

None

Bachelor’s Degree

• Packaging Engineering
• Packaging Science
• Mechanical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Related Engineering or Technical Discipline

None

This job description does not constitute a “contract” between the employee and the employer. The job description duties may change at the discretion of the employer and/or the employer may request the employee to perform duties that are not listed on the job description.