Sustainability Packaging Development

Job Description:

Segment: Mars Food & Nutrition

Location: Oud-Beijerland

Type of Contract: Fixed-term, 2 years, Full-time

Shape the Future of Sustainable Packaging at Mars

At Mars Food & Nutrition, we're committed to building the world we want tomorrow, today. Packaging plays a critical role in reducing our environmental footprint, improving circularity, and ensuring compliance with evolving global regulations.

We're looking for a Sustainability Packaging Developer to help accelerate our sustainability ambitions and drive the next generation of packaging solutions across Europe and North America. In this role, you'll lead the development, validation, and implementation of innovative packaging projects focused on recyclability, recycled content, packaging reduction, and regulatory compliance.

This is a unique opportunity to combine your technical packaging expertise with meaningful sustainability impact, collaborating with suppliers, manufacturing sites, co-manufacturers, and cross-functional teams to bring sustainable packaging solutions to life.

What are your Key Responsibilities?

Sustainability Packaging Development

• Lead technical packaging development activities for sustainability-driven renovation projects.
• Design, develop, and renovate primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging formats to meet sustainability, business, and regulatory objectives.
• Develop and implement packaging solutions focused on recyclability, recycled content, material reduction, and compliance with sustainability commitments.
• Translate business and regulatory requirements into robust and commercially viable packaging solutions.
• Ensure packaging functionality, performance, quality, manufacturability, and cost-effectiveness throughout development and implementation.

Technical Assessment and Validation

• Evaluate packaging materials, structures, technologies, equipment, and suppliers to support circularity objectives.
• Lead technical risk assessments and packaging performance evaluations.
• Coordinate laboratory testing, transportation testing, shelf-life studies, manufacturing trials, and validation activities.
• Develop and maintain packaging specifications, technical documentation, and sustainability-related dossiers.
• Ensure packaging changes meet product protection, quality, consumer, operational, and regulatory requirements.
• Evaluate manufacturing compatibility and implementation readiness across Mars sites and co-manufacturers.

Co-Manufacturer and Supplier Engagement

• Partner closely with co-manufacturers and packaging suppliers to identify, test, and implement sustainable packaging solutions.
• Lead packaging implementation activities across internal manufacturing sites and external co-manufacturing networks.
• Provide technical guidance to external partners during development, trial, and commercialization activities.
• Support capability assessments and implementation readiness across co-manufacturing networks.
• Troubleshoot technical issues and identify solutions to support successful implementation.

Regulatory and Compliance Support

• Support delivery of packaging changes required to comply with regulations including PPWR, EPR, SB54, and other emerging sustainability requirements.
• Contribute technical expertise to packaging assessments, recyclability evaluations, and compliance documentation.
• Identify technical risks and recommend mitigation plans associated with sustainability and regulatory programs.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Act as the packaging technical lead within assigned renovation projects.
• Partner with Supply, Commercial, Quality, Regulatory Affairs, Sustainability, Procurement, and Demand teams to ensure successful project delivery.
• Communicate project status, technical recommendations, risks, and implementation plans to stakeholders and leadership teams.
• Manage project timelines and technical deliverables to ensure delivery of business commitments.

What are we looking for?

You are passionate about sustainable innovation and enjoy turning complex challenges into practical packaging solutions.

• Bachelor's degree in Packaging Engineering, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Food Science, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 4+ years of experience in Packaging Development, Packaging Engineering, or a similar technical role.
• Proven experience leading packaging renovation and commercialization projects.
• Experience working with suppliers and co-manufacturing partners.
• Strong knowledge of packaging materials, including flexible packaging, paper-based solutions, plastics, and recycled-content materials.
• Understanding of packaging performance, barrier properties, product-package interactions, and testing methodologies.
• Experience with manufacturing trials, industrial implementation, and commercialization.
• Knowledge of recyclability design principles and circular economy concepts.
• Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and project management skills.
• Experience with sustainable packaging solutions and flexible packaging is considered a strong advantage..

What can you expect from Mars?

• Work with diverse and talented Associates, all guided by the Five Principles.
• Join a purpose driven company, where we’re striving to build the world we want tomorrow, today.
• A strong focus on learning and development support from day one, including access to our in-house Mars University.
• An industry competitive salary and benefits package, including company bonus

If you're excited about advancing sustainable packaging solutions, navigating complex technical challenges, and helping Mars deliver on its sustainability commitments, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply now and help us create a better tomorrow through smarter, more sustainable packaging.