Sr. Packaging Engineer

Business Unit Overview

Here's what all the hype is about: Premier Nutrition Company (PNC) is one of the fastest-growing companies in the convenient nutrition space showing clear leadership in the category of protein shakes and protein powders. We make the brands Premier Protein, Dymatize, and PowerBar, which is sold internationally, and we are part of our holding company, BellRing Brands (NYSE: BRBR).

We have a simple, yet powerful, formula for our success, which we've been nailing for over 15 years. We start off with an organization powered by our company purpose-Changing Lives with Good Energy. Then our purpose-driven people are given the support and autonomy to develop and grow. Next, we are super-intentional about designing a culture where everyone feels like they truly connect and belong, which is one of our five company core values. Purpose-driven, connected employees who are consistently mastering new skills deliver amazing business results. And winning companies with amazing people and thriving cultures attract and retain top talent, so the cycle becomes self-reinforcing or what we call our regenerative culture.

We don't mind sharing our formula since, as people who we believe in the power of changing lives with good energy, we think the world would be a better place if more workplaces treated adults like adults and gave them the platform to do the best work of their lives-alongside some truly amazing colleagues. Why don't more companies do this? It takes deep-in-your-bones conviction to your people, products, and purpose to pull it off. It also takes resisting the urge to try to control people, and instead trusting them to make the right decisions. The results of our vibrant culture speaks for themselves: We were certified as a Great Place to Work for the 8th year-running in 2024. And we currently rank #2 on Fortune Magazine's Best Workplaces in our category, and in the top 12 for each of the last 5 years.

We have a long list of ways we take care of our people, but here are some crowd-pleasers that our employees often say they love most: Year-round ½ day Fridays, in-office massages, free lunches & snacks, dogs in the office, month-long cultural annd diversity celebrations, monthly over-the-top in-office events like bring your kids to work day, 6% 401k match after 1 year, as-needed sick leave, generous paid family leave regardless of gender, all positions bonus-eligible, company-wide volunteer days, company-matched charitable donations, no employee handbook, no dress code, coaching conversations instead of performance reviews, walking meetings, free exercise classes, and company-paid gym membership for Emeryville-based employees.

PNC seeks individuals who will flourish in this type of work environment and will add to our culture and help build this high-growth company for the next phase in our amazing journey. Does this sound like you? Then read on…#LI-hybrid

Responsibilities

The Role…

On a typical day you may find yourself brainstorming with marketing on displays, solving a manufacturing challenge, and then building a spreadsheet with the Logistics team to calculate transportation costs. If you are ready to flex your thinking between writing a project plan, documenting the placement of a label and then projecting of recycled corrugate in the supply chain then welcome aboard.

The work environment…

So, what's it like to work here? If you're based in the greater Bay Area, you'll walk into our Emeryville office each Tuesday morning and start the in-person portion of our hybrid work week at our weekly all-company meeting and find close to 200 of your colleagues sitting on sofas, beanbag chairs, or the floor excitedly talking through the week ahead and watching a newer teammate tell their personal life and career journey followed by a quick update on any hot topics that might be relevant to the week ahead.

We are a dynamic, HYBRID workplace so every employee who lives within 100 miles of our offices is expected to come in each TUESDAY and WEDNESDAY. We aligned on those two common days way back in 2021 to be intentional about connecting in person for things like innovation, impromptu collaboration, having respectful challenges to get to better decisions, leadership role-modeling, and culture building. Great work cultures are built on stories about what great looks like in practice, and great stories on Zoom meetings are few and far between. The expected pay scale for this role is $130k to $140k, which may vary based on relevant experience, qualifications, geographic area (if applicable), and internal equity for the role.

Our modern 50,000 sq. foot headquarters straddles the border of the cities of Emeryville, Oakland, and Berkeley, California with free onsite parking and many transportation options.

You're excited about this opportunity because your time will be filled with…

Packaging Engineering: 65% of Time

• Engage in the end-to-end packaging excellence to support brand renovation and new product development with the following:

• Technical leadership on structures, runnability, and barriers

• Capability studies and trial/testing protocols that validate packaging solutions

• Standardized documentation and specifications

• Detail-oriented dielines

• Packaging test methods

• Repeatable and reliable manufacturing capability

• Contribute to margin enhancement pipeline related to packaging material and efficiencies

Build the Future: 15% of Time

• Drive packaging innovation initiatives in design, transportation, manufacturing ability and sustainability by forging relationships with vendors, customers and consumer.

• As applicable to PNC pipeline, maintain up-to-date knowledge of trends in marketplace and new developments in Ready-to-Drink aseptic packaging technologies.

The daily stuff that everyone does but few quantify: 20% of Time

• Attending meetings and presentations

• Participating in company-wide activities and events

• Impromptu conversations with colleagues

• Administrivia like email, calendaring, expense reports, and other miscellaneous tasks

What are we looking for?

• Ability to explain complex technical subject matters to non-technical team

• Strong technical knowledge with passion to solve complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement suitable solutions

• Meticulous attention to detail, particularly about design and manufacturability

• Strong collaborative skills and ability to work well in teams

• Possess curiosity, creativity, and alternative thinking to develop new innovative solutions

• Ability to travel up to 20%

Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Packaging Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or similar field

Experience:

• 6+ years of packaging experience in the food industry

• Experience in aseptic CPG is strongly desired

So, if after reading through this long list you're thinking-I'm not sure I meet 100% of these requirements, should I still apply? YES-if you embody a growth mindset, see challenges as opportunities to develop, and find innovative ways to get the real work that matters done, you sound like our kind of candidate!

Select 5 Key Capabilities & Traits Important to Add to and Diversify your Current Team:

• Thrive in ambiguity amid competing priorities

• Embody a problem-solving mindset

• Connect & belong

• Play to Win

• Creativity, exploration, & innovativeness

You will thrive here and may just do the best work of your life if…

• You can be flexible in your approach to challenges and abandon past practices if they don't make sense or would lead to a poor outcome

• You are comfortable being natural, casual, open, and even a bit playful at work

• You don't have a big ego and hate siloed thinking

• You want to be an integral part of an amazing work culture

• You can be friendly, vulnerable, and self-deprecating in one moment, and deal with a challenging, delicate people-related matter as a professional in the next

• You can do periods of focused, deep work on projects that drive the needle

This may not be your ideal next career move if…

• You like a lot of structure, rules, and uniformity

• You like hierarchy, command and control management

• You want to build lots of processes, systems, governance, or policies and make a beautiful bureaucracy

• Dealing with ambiguity or experimentation is not your jam

• You try to resolve challenging interpersonal situations over instant messaging or passive aggression

• You like managing from your house with your camera off and demonstrating excellence through email

• You tend to chase whatever shiny object presents itself during the day instead of real results

If we haven't convinced you to apply already, here are some of our favorite perks and benefits:

• Friday afternoons off year-round (and of course a hefty PTO package plus 11 holidays)

• 6% 401K match. Literally free money

• Hybrid work with an average of 2-3 days a week in the office for local folks

• All jobs are bonus-eligible

• Work-out time during work

• Free custom lunch twice a week. Plus, plenty of snacks and shakes.

• 2 weeks of work from anywhere time to move your Big Rocks

• Quarterly team building events/happy hours (city-wide scavenger hunt, bowling, ropes course, putt-putt)

• Bring your dog to work (3 days/week)

• Extended paid parental leave regardless of gender or familial make-up