Principal Engineer, Thermoform Plastic Packaging

The Kraft Heinz Company

Principal Engineer contributing technical expertise to develop rigid packaging solutions for North America. Collaborating with teams to ensure compliance and innovation in packaging design while advancing sustainability.

Posted 4/18/2026full-timeGlenview • Illinois • 🇺🇸 United StatesLead💰 $104,200 - $130,200 per yearWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

As the Rigid Thermoform Packaging Engineer, you will contribute technical expertise to help develop and advance rigid packaging material and format solutions for the North American portfolio.
Support execution of rigid packaging technical initiatives by completing assigned research, development, and validation workstreams that balance technology exploration with proof of concept needs.
Contribute to technical assessments and business case inputs for packaging technologies/applications by gathering data, summarizing learnings, and documenting technical risks and opportunities.
Support external collaboration activities across the value chain by coordinating samples/trials, tracking actions, and documenting outcomes.
Apply enterprise standards and manufacturability considerations by following established guidance to ensure design decisions align with enterprise standards, manufacturability needs, sustainability needs, and platform direction.
Provide technical problem solving on rigid packaging projects by using structured troubleshooting, data analysis, and experimentation to resolve technical hurdles.
Apply Design of Experiments (DoE), statistics, and technical problem-solving practices to research, development, and validation work.
Support prototyping development for consumer testing and assist with pilot line setup and scale-up to industrial production as required to enable commercialization.
Contribute to knowledge sharing and capability building by documenting learnings, creating technical summaries, and supporting training content or informal coaching as needed.

Requirements

What you’ll need

BS/MS/PhD degree in Engineering, Materials, Chemical or Packaging Engineering preferred, or related discipline.
6 + years of R&D packaging technology development, commercialization experience, with exposure to rigid plastic thermoform packaging and project leadership experience (consumer goods, food & beverage, pharma or similar preferred).
Working technical knowledge of materials (polymers, barriers and additives, etc.) and thermoforming plastics, understanding manufacturing constraints, including converting processes (e.g., lidding, molding, extrusion, form-fill-seal).
Demonstrated ability to support end-to-end development activities, including planning/performing experiments, documenting results, and coordinating with cross-functional partners.
Demonstrated capability of design of experiments and statistics and technical problem solving.
Working knowledge of project execution disciplines (e.g., task planning, risk identification, stakeholder updates) and comfort operating within PMO expectations/templates.
Exposure to sustainable packaging solutions, material/package industry standards and regulations.
Ability to support pilot line activities and scale-up to industrial production as required.
Willingness and ability to travel up to 25% of the time.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Coverage for employees (and their eligible dependents) through affordable access to healthcare
Protection and saving for the future, we offer plans tailored to meet you and your family’s needs.
Wellbeing events, resources, and learning opportunities that inspire a physical, social, emotional, and financial well-being lifestyle for our employees and their families.
Paid Time Off
Company Holidays
Leave of Absence
Flexible Work Arrangements
Recognition
Training
Employee Assistance Program
Wellbeing Programs
Family Support Programs
401k
Life
Accidental Death & Dismemberment
Disability

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

thermoformingpackaging technology developmentDesign of Experiments (DoE)data analysistechnical problem solvingmaterials knowledgemanufacturing constraintsproject executionexperiment planningdocumentation

Soft Skills

collaborationcommunicationcoachingproblem solvingorganizational skillsleadershipknowledge sharingstakeholder managementcross-functional coordinationtraining support

Certifications

BS in EngineeringMS in EngineeringPhD in EngineeringPackaging Engineering certification