Production Manager Packaging Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Who We Are

John Paul Mitchell Systems (“JPMS”) is recognized worldwide for developing and marketing innovative hair and skin care products since 1980. We’ve been serving the professional beauty industry with salon-quality hair care products, styling tools and professional hair color through our family of brands including Paul Mitchell, MITCH, Awapuhi Wild Ginger, Tea Tree, Paul Mitchell Tools, Neuro, The Demi, Paul Mitchell the Color, Blonde, and Color XG.

We were the first professional hair care company to take a stand against animal testing and continue our strong commitment to giving back, supporting a wide range of philanthropic causes both domestically and internationally. Sustainability has always been a priority, and we are committed to making our company operations climate neutral to preserve the beauty of the world around us.

Who You Are: 

You are a skilled and enthusiastic, high-performing professional who is passionate about hair care and wants to positively contribute to the growth of our iconic brand as well as to our people first culture.

About the Role 

Reporting to the Regulatory Manager, Packaging, the Packaging Engineer serves as the technical owner of packaging performance, validation, release readiness, and innovation across JPMS products. The role emphasizes packaging testing, supplier and tooling qualification, operational scale-up, new-material and dispensing innovation, and value engineering, while supporting Regulatory on the technical validation behind sustainability and global compliance.

This position focuses on areas including: end-to-end packaging validation, testing, and release readiness governance; early-stage packaging risk assessment (feasibility, compatibility, filling constraints, and scale-up considerations); supplier, component, and tooling qualification (technical approval, audits, mold readiness); packaging non-conformance investigation, launch risk assessment, and resolution; packaging innovation and new-material engineering (new formats, dispensing solutions, PCR / biobased and lightweighting changes); and operational packaging optimization and light value engineering (cost optimization, palletization, shipper design, CAPE, BOM accuracy). This role provides technical validation and data in support of the Regulatory Manager, Packaging, who is responsible for sustainability strategy, EPR, PLM and multi-market regulatory compliance.

This role works 3-4 days a week from our Santa Clarita, CA office.

What You will Do:

Packaging Validation, Testing & Release Readiness (Core Accountability)

• Own the packaging testing framework from development through commercialization (compatibility, stability, leak, drop, vibration, torque, transit, weight-claim, headspace, stress-cracking, deco, and dispensing testing)
• Lead early-stage risk assessments for feasibility, compatibility, filling, and scale-up, and serve as primary technical contact for external testing labs
• Maintain testing documentation, approvals, and release-readiness criteria in partnership with Quality

Innovation & Materials

• Drive packaging innovation including new materials, formats, and dispensing solutions that improve performance, consumer experience, and cost
• Engineer and qualify new and alternative materials (including PCR / biobased) and lightweighting changes, ensuring each is technically validated and production-ready
• Provide the technical validation, specifications, and test data needed to support Regulatory’s sustainability, EPR, and multi-market compliance obligations

Supplier, Tooling & Quality

• Qualify packaging vendors, components, molds, and tooling prior to scale-up, including GMP, EPR, and technical audits; approve drawings, specifications, and tolerances
• Serve as primary investigator for packaging non-conformances, partnering with Quality, the packaging vendor, and Operations on root cause, corrective action, and disposition; participate in recall committees when packaging is implicated
• Support secondary supplier/tooling approvals, change control, SOPs, and continuous improvement

Operations & Commercialization Support

• Support CM readiness (tooling, line capability, packaging execution) and define optimal pallet patterns, shipper strength, dimensions, and logistics performance with Operations
• Maintain CAPE data, BOM accuracy, and Fill & Assembly documentation, and provide packaging guidance to Shipping and Warehousing

Consumer Experience & Data Ownership

• Partner with R&D and Marketing to validate dispensing, dosing, and ease of use, ensuring packaging supports claims and intended consumer outcomes

Required Qualifications:

Skills: 

• Hands-on expertise in packaging testing, validation, and scale-up
• Tooling and mold qualification
• Supplier qualification and audits
• Contract manufacturer technical support and commercialization
• Working knowledge of GMP, quality systems, and global packaging compliance
• Technical judgment and risk-based decision making
• Strong root-cause problem solving
• Value engineering and cost-optimization mindset
• Project and documentation discipline
• Clear cross-functional communication, with the ability to operate independently while partnering effectively

Education: 

• High school diploma or GED required

Experience: 

• 5+ years of experience in packaging engineering within CPG, beauty, personal care, or similar regulated environments
• Demonstrated experience leading packaging testing, validation, scale-up, tooling and mold qualification, supplier qualification and audits, and contract manufacturer technical support through commercialization

Preferred Qualifications:

Education:  

• Bachelor’s degree in Packaging Engineering, Packaging Science, Engineering preferred

Experience: 

• Experience driving packaging innovation and new-material development (e.g., PCR / biobased, dispensing systems), and with value engineering, strongly preferred
• We are eager to meet people who believe in our mission and can contribute to our team in a variety of ways - not just candidates who check all the boxes. If you think you would be a good fit for the position and our company, we invite you to apply. 

Working Conditions

• Office and Warehouse environments

Competitive Compensation: 

• The expected base salary range for this position is $115,000 to $125,000. The exact base salary is determined by various factors including geographic location, experience, skills, and education.
• Discretionary Bonus Plan: This position is also eligible for participation in the company discretionary bonus plan, based on personal performance and company results.
• Comprehensive Benefits Package: In addition to base salary, JPMS offers a competitive benefits package to eligible employees, including medical, dental, vision, life, accident, critical illness, and disability insurance, retirement savings plans and company match, paid family leave, education-related programs, paid holidays, discretionary vacation time, and more.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and take pride in a diverse environment.