Packaging Engineer

About SunOpta

SunOpta delivers customized supply chain solutions and innovation for top brands, retailers, and foodservice providers across a broad portfolio of beverages, broths, and better-for-you snacks. With over 50 years of expertise, SunOpta fuels customers' growth with high-quality, sustainability-forward solutions distributed through retail, club, foodservice, and e-commerce channels across North America.

SunOpta Overview:

SunOpta Inc. is a leader in the plant-based foods and beverages. SunOpta is focused on sustainability and specializes in the sourcing, processing, and packaging of organic, conventional, non-GMO food products.

SunOpta is looking for talented individuals that demonstrate our most valued behaviors: Passion, Dedication, Speed, Entrepreneurship, Customer-Centricity, and Problem-Solver, to help create a brighter, healthier, and sustainable future of food!

Job Summary:

At SunOpta, packaging innovation drives product quality, sustainability, and cost efficiency. The Packaging Engineer leads packaging development for plant-based foods and beverages. Partnering with R&D, Marketing, and Commercialization, the candidate will design and deliver packaging solutions, managing projects from concept to commercialization. Responsibilities include developing specifications, testing materials and shelf life, supporting maintenance projects, and working with packaging equipment. The role also builds external partnerships to access emerging technologies and improve performance and sustainability. Focus areas include shelf-stable beverages and fruit snacks, using technologies such as aseptic packaging, barrier films, and corrugate.

Essential Functions of the Job:

• Design and develop packaging components and systems for both new product launches and improvements to existing products, ensuring functionality, cost efficiency, and manufacturability.
• Develop, validate, and maintain unit load specifications to meet requirements across internal operations and external supply chain distribution, including pallet configuration and transportation performance.
• Create, update, and manage packaging material specifications and unit load data within internal specification management systems, ensuring accuracy and compliance.
• Plan, coordinate, and execute packaging tests (e.g., compression, drop, vibration, environmental) and analyze results to ensure performance and durability throughout the product lifecycle.
• Conduct and support shelf-life and stability studies for new products and packaging formats, including evaluation of packaging integrity and product protection over time.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with R&D, Manufacturing, Food Safety and Quality, Procurement, Sales, and Marketing teams to align packaging solutions with product requirements, customer expectations, and operational capabilities.
• Partner with external suppliers and vendors to develop packaging solutions, obtain technical documentation, drive design improvements, and support qualification of new materials.
• Support commercialization and scale-up activities, including plant trials, line validations, and troubleshooting packaging-related issues on production lines (e.g., case packers, palletizers).
• Ensure all packaging designs and processes comply with regulatory requirements, food safety standards, and company policies, including GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices).
• Identify and implement cost savings, sustainability, and efficiency improvements, including material reduction, recyclability, and optimization of packaging formats.
• Participate in continuous improvement initiatives by analyzing performance data, identifying gaps, and recommending actionable solutions.
• Maintain clear documentation and communication of project status, technical findings, and recommendations to stakeholders.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• None immediately.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Packaging, Food Science, Chemistry, Biology, Engineering, or related field.
• Experience working as a member of a cross functional team.
• Experience with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel).

Preferred Qualifications:

• 1-3 years' experience working on packaging materials within a consumer product organization.
• Familiarity with food manufacturing.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Outstanding verbal, written, multi-tasking and presentation skills.
• Strong attention to detail with bias to documentation and codification of knowledge. Must have experience with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel).

Featured Benefits

• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Paid Family leave
• Paid maternity leave
• 401(k) with Match
• Voluntary Life, Accident, Critical Illness and Hospital indemnity
• Paid Holidays
• Tuition assistance
• Short-term and Long-term Disability insurance

Additional Considerations:

• Travel Expectation: Up to 30% to various SunOpta locations, to customer meetings, and/or conferences.
• Location: This role will be located at our US Corporate Office in Eden Prairie, MN.
• Work Environment: Approximately 95% of work is done in an office environment; 5% of work may be performed in a manufacturing environment.
• Relocation (within the US) will be considered.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time, with or without notice.

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
EOE M/W/VET/DISABLED