Food Packaging Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Packaging Development Specialist serves as the technical lead for packaging development, qualification, specification management, and implementation across all brands and production sites. This role bridges Creative, Marketing, Procurement, Suppliers, Quality, and Bottling Operations to ensure packaging concepts are successfully translated into manufacturable, scalable, and production-ready solutions.

Reporting directly to the Packaging Engineering Manager, the Packaging Development Specialist is responsible for serving as the packaging quality and qualification lead within the New Product Development (NPD) packaging initiatives, coordinating material qualifications, managing packaging specifications within company systems, and developing quality standards that ensure packaging materials consistently meet brand, supplier, and operational requirements.

This position serves as the primary technical authority for packaging feasibility and maintains responsibility for balancing creative objectives with manufacturing realities. The Packaging Development Specialist has the authority to challenge, modify, or reject packaging requests that cannot be reliably supported by supplier capabilities, bottling equipment, quality requirements, regulatory standards, or operational constraints.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS/DUTIES:

Packaging Development & New Product Introduction

• Lead packaging development projects from concept through commercial implementation.
• Support new product launches, brand redesigns, and innovation initiatives.
• Coordinate packaging timelines with Creative, Marketing, Procurement, Suppliers, Quality, and Operations.
• Evaluate packaging concepts for manufacturability, scalability, and operational compatibility.

Creative Team Partnership & Technical Review

• Collaborate with Brand and Creative stakeholders to translate packaging concepts into production-ready solutions.
• Review proposed packaging designs for equipment compatibility, supplier capabilities, quality risks, regulatory compliance and production efficiency
• Communicate technical limitations and manufacturing constraints during package development.
• Recommend alternative materials, designs, or specifications when creative concepts cannot be reliably executed.
• Maintain authority to delay, reject, or require modification of packaging concepts that do not meet operational, supplier, quality, or production requirements.

Material Qualification, Testing & Validation

• Coordinate and execute qualification activities for new packaging materials and packaging changes.
• Develop structured testing protocols and acceptance criteria.
• Lead ALL bottling line packaging trials
• Analyze trial data and provide technical recommendations for approval or rejection.
• Investigate packaging failures and implement corrective actions.
• Maintain documentation supporting package approvals and qualifications.

Bottling Operations Partnership

• Support bottling operations during package launches, material changes, and troubleshooting activities.
• Validate that packaging materials perform consistently on production equipment.
• Partner with operations teams to reduce packaging-related downtime and quality losses.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives that improve efficiency, consistency, and package quality.

Packaging Specifications and Data Integrity

• Maintain, and control comprehensive packaging specifications and associated documentation.
• Serve as the primary specialist for packaging specifications, master data and documentation workflows within Specright ecosystem and related business systems.
• Establish measurable quality standards, testing protocols, and clear acceptance criteria for all packaging components to ensure materials meet operational requirements.

Core Competencies

• Technical Decision Making: Ability to make objective packaging decisions based on testing, operational capabilities, supplier performance, and risk assessment.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Ability to influence decisions and drive alignment across Creative, Marketing, Quality, Procurement, Suppliers, and Operations.
• Attention to Detail: Maintains high standards for specifications, testing protocols, data accuracy, and package quality.
• Ownership & Accountability: Takes ownership of packaging projects, standards, and implementation activities while holding suppliers and internal teams accountable to defined expectations.
• Continuous Improvement: Identifies opportunities to improve packaging performance, reduce risk, enhance efficiency, and strengthen quality systems.
• Collaborative & Communicative: Keeps key stakeholders in the loop on project processes.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

Essential Skills, Experience, and Education

• Bachelor's degree in Packaging Engineering, Engineering, Food Science, Manufacturing, Materials Science, or a related technical discipline preferred
• Must have 1-3 years of experience in packaging engineering IF lacking Packaging Engineering or equivalent degree to qualify.
• Experience supporting packaging development, material qualifications, or new product launches.
• Experience working with suppliers, quality systems, and cross-functional project teams.
• Specright/Salesforce, SharePoint, JDE or related specification management system experience preferred.

WAGE TRANSPARENCY: The annual salary for this role ranges from $75,000 - $95,000. Compensation will be determined by candidate experience, skills, and location.

BENEFITS:

• Health Benefits - Medical, Dental, Vision, Disability & Life insurance
• 401k with employer match
• Generous time off including vacation, holidays, and paid health time
• Paid volunteer time
• Learning & Development opportunities
• Modern Health virtual mental health & coaching visits
• Wine discounts!

Jackson Family Wines is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. All employment decisions are based on merit and business needs.