Packaging Engineer

No Relocation Assistance Offered
Job Number #172511 - Topeka, Kansas, United States

Who We Are

Colgate-Palmolive Company is a global consumer products company operating in over 200 countries specializing in Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care, Skin Care, and Pet Nutrition. Our products are trusted in more households than any other brand in the world, making us a household name!

Join Colgate-Palmolive, a caring, innovative growth company reimagining a healthier future for people, their pets, and our planet. Guided by our core values—Caring, Inclusive, and Courageous—we foster a culture that inspires our people to achieve common goals. Together, let's build a brighter, healthier future for all.
 

As a key member of the Packaging organization, you will drive packaging excellence by delivering people-centric engineering solutions and leading high-impact sustainable packaging initiatives. This cross-functional role fuels business growth through continuous innovation and strategic cost optimization while partnering with Marketing, Product Development, and global supply chain teams. You will own the end-to-end development process to ensure our products deliver a perceivably superior consumer experience on-shelf and in-use.

 

 

Responsibilities

• End-to-End Packaging Development: Leads the design, validation, and implementation of primary and secondary packaging materials, ensuring all solutions meet consumer needs and comply with corporate quality and safety standards.

• Project Management & Execution: Owns the technical execution of packaging projects, including defining timelines, aligning business priorities with stakeholders, and managing risks to ensure on-time delivery.

• Sustainability & Business Continuity: Drives the sustainability roadmap and identifies cost-optimization opportunities through standardization, manufacturing efficiency improvements, and the assessment of new packaging suppliers.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Acts as a strategic partner to Marketing, Procurement, and Manufacturing to align packaging briefs, optimize material performance on production lines, and resolve execution-impacting issues.

• Technical Documentation & Compliance: Generates detailed packaging specifications and validates technical drawings and dielines using corporate systems such as SAP and the BEAT artwork tool.

 

 

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Packaging Engineering, or a related quantitative field.

• At least 3 years of experience in the consumer goods or pharmaceutical industry.

• At least 3 years of experience in packaging engineering or related. 

• Demonstrated ability to manage packaging development tasks and communicate technical summaries to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

 

 

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced understanding of manufacturing processes and the behavior of packaging materials (flexibles, cans, labels, corrugates) on production lines.

• Proficiency in technical systems including SAP, CAPE (pallet pattern design), Google Workspace, and Adobe Suite.

• Deep knowledge of experimental design, statistics, and measurement equipment for technical packaging evaluations.

• Expertise in project management, printing methodologies, and people-centric design to create distinctive, perceivably superior packaging.

• Expertise on flexible packaging, corrugates, paper and plastic labels and Steel & Aluminum cans. 

Compensation and Benefits
Salary Range $110,000.00 - $120,000.00 USD

Pay is determined based on experience, qualifications, and location. Salaried employees may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses, profit-sharing, and long-term incentives for Executive-level roles.

Benefits: Salaried employees enjoy a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, basic life insurance, paid parental leave, disability coverage, and participation in the 401(k) retirement plan with company matching contributions subject to eligibility requirements. Additional benefits include a minimum of 15 vacation/PTO days (hourly employees receive a minimum of 120 hours) and 13 paid holidays (vacation days are prorated based on the employee's hire date within the calendar year). Paid sick leave is adjusted based on role and location in accordance with local laws. Detailed information regarding paid sick leave entitlements will be provided to employees upon hiring and may be subject to adjustments based on changes in legislation or company policies.

Our Commitment to Inclusion
Our journey begins with our people—developing strong talent with diverse backgrounds and perspectives  to best serve our consumers around the world and fostering an inclusive environment where everyone feels a true sense of belonging. We are dedicated to ensuring that each individual can be their authentic self, is treated with respect, and is empowered by leadership to contribute meaningfully to our business.

Equal Opportunity Employer
Colgate is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, marital status, veteran status (United States positions), or any other characteristic protected by law.

Reasonable accommodation during the application process is available for persons with disabilities. Please complete this request form should you require accommodation.

For additional Colgate terms and conditions, please click here.

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