Packaging Development and Industrialization Director

About the Role
The Director of Packaging leads the Packaging pole of Product Operations, overseeing Packaging Development & Industrialization as well as a new Packaging R&D capability. This role is responsible for technical packaging solutions from initial brief to production readiness at suppliers and contract manufacturers. The Director will focus on moving technical risk upstream through risk-based pilots and evidence and will create proven, PPWR-ready platforms for future launches, collaborating with an independent End-to-End Quality team.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Packaging Strategy & Leadership

• Define and own the packaging technical strategy and roadmap for Y+2 and Y+3 launches.
• Lead two sub-poles, Development & Industrialization and Packaging R&D, ensuring clear decision rights.
• Protect R&D time and budget from live-launch pressure; escalate trade-offs to the VP, Product Operations.
• Size the team based on real workload and portfolio data.

Packaging Development & Industrialization

• Own the technical delivery of every launch, from brief to PPS (Production Part Approval Process).
• Run risk-based pathways, setting from the 1 to 5 risk score confirmed by Quality.
• Secure pilot molds and homologation before production tooling for new, high-risk packs.
• Lead the creation of drawings, GD&T (Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing), tolerance stack-ups, functional analysis, DFMA (Design for Manufacturing and Assembly), and formula/pack compatibility.
• Manage tooling validation, line trials, PPS, and scale-up readiness at suppliers and contract manufacturers.

Packaging R&D & Innovation

• Build and lead packaging R&D, focusing on platforms and technology, advanced development, and innovation, including Kaizen.
• Develop a library of proven packs, supplier standards, design rules, and test files.
• Direct technical and experience sourcing.
• Ensure concepts are handed over to development only once proven.

Sustainability & PPWR

• Own the packaging sustainability roadmap, balancing consumer experience, brand, cost, and regulation.
• Lead PPWR (Packaging Producer Responsibility) readiness for new launches and the existing portfolio, collaborating with Regulatory for compliance interpretation.
• Establish clear ownership: R&D builds PPWR-ready solutions, Development applies them in each launch, Regulatory and Legal advise on compliance.
• Prioritize changes to existing packs based on risk and business impact, in partnership with Supply Chain and Finance.

Technical Governance & Risk Ownership

• Adjust assessments to project risk, ensuring clear ownership, evidence, and approval at each checkpoint.
• Prepare evidence and recommendations for Product Operations gates: Tech Assessment, Pilot Homologation, Go Prod.
• Own packaging specifications and drive the adoption of the internal specification tool.
• Never trade an unresolved critical risk for cost or timing; any skipped step escalates to the Newness Committee.
• Lead root cause analysis and permanent fixes for design-origin issues; support Quality and the Crisis Cell on supply issues.
• Respect Quality's independent co-signature of homologation and its ownership of release and CAPA (Corrective and Preventive Actions).

Leadership and Coaching

• Lead, coach, and develop packaging developers, engineers, and R&D specialists.
• Recruit and grow sub-pole leads; build succession for critical technical roles.
• Serve as a role model for technical rigor and evidence-based decisions.

Cross-Functional Partnership & Strategic Exposure

• Collaborate with Product Development, Marketing, Design, Quality, Procurement, Supply Chain, Regulatory, Commercial, and Finance.
• Provide feasibility, cost, timing, and risk input at the brief phase, ensuring the pack brief is issued alongside the formula brief.
• Represent Packaging at the Newness Committee and in launch readiness reviews.
• Drive value engineering and COGS (Cost of Goods Sold) improvement without compromising critical risk; manage the packaging technical budget.

Qualifications

• Proven delivery of complex primary packs from concept through tooling, line trials, and scale-up at suppliers and contract manufacturers.
• Deep expertise in materials, processes, GD&T, tolerance stack-ups, and formula/pack compatibility.
• Hands-on experience with pilot tooling, homologation, and stage-gate governance.
• Experience in building pre-development, R&D, or platform programs.
• Proven leader of leaders, capable of delegating through clear decision rights.
• Competence in reading and challenging CAD models and technical drawings.
• Solid understanding of packaging sustainability and the EU PPWR, along with their impact on design, cost, and supply.
• Experience with global supplier bases in Europe and Asia.
• Track record of evidence-based judgment, comfortable with ambiguity and scale-up dynamics.
• 12+ years in packaging development and industrialization, with significant experience in beauty, fragrance, or luxury sectors.
• Bachelor's/Master's degree in Packaging, Mechanical, Materials, or Plastics Engineering.

Benefits

• Monthly “Self Love Days” – at company discretion.
• Premium Medical/Dental/Vision coverage for employees and dependents.
• Monthly coaching sessions with our in-house Success Coach.
• Employee discounts on all products.
• Quarterly product gifting.

The company is committed to building diverse and inclusive teams and upholding an equal employment workplace that is free from discrimination. The hiring process seeks to include individuals regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, gender identity, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, medical conditions, disability, or veteran status. Reasonable accommodations will be provided at any point in the application or interview process if needed.