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Ornua is a dairy co‑operative which sells dairy products on behalf of its members, Ireland’s dairy processors and, in turn, Irish dairy farmers. It is Ireland’s largest exporter of Irish dairy products, exporting to 110 countries worldwide. Headquartered in Dublin, it has annualised sales of over €2.3 billion and a global team of 2,850 employees. Ornua operates from 10 business units worldwide, including 16 production facilities, and has sales and marketing teams working in‑market across all four corners of the globe.
Ornua is structured across two divisions: Ornua Foods, responsible for the marketing and sales of consumer brands such as Kerrygold and Dubliner, and Ornua Ingredients, responsible for the procurement of dairy products and for selling dairy ingredients to food manufacturing and foodservice customers worldwide.
Why this role is valuable
We are looking for a dynamic and experienced professional to lead all packaging projects, from development and commissioning of new packaging components to day‑to‑day packaging operational issues.
Key Responsibilities
* Operational & Technical Support – Serve as the first point of contact for all packaging‑related operational issues on site, troubleshoot line performance, material runability, and packaging equipment compatibility, lead packaging line trials and validations for new materials or design changes, work closely with production, quality, and maintenance teams to optimise pack performance.
* NPD & Project Delivery – Act as site lead for the development and commissioning of new packaging components, support packaging readiness for NPD and product launches, drive factory acceptance of new formats and packaging changes from global or regional projects, collaborate with central/global teams to align design intent with plant capability.
* Co‑Manufacturing Support – Provide technical packaging support to co‑manufacturing sites as required, ensure co‑man sites follow approved specifications, materials, and quality standards, assist in onboarding and validation of new co‑manufacturing partners from a packaging lens, act as liaison between co‑mans, internal functions, and global packaging teams to ensure alignment.
* Compliance & Audit Readiness – Ensure site packaging materials and processes meet global regulatory and compliance frameworks, maintain and update packaging specifications and artwork approvals, support audit readiness through proper documentation and alignment with traceability requirements, monitor and enforce compliance with food safety and environmental packaging standards.
* Supplier & Procurement Engagement – Act as key site liaison with packaging suppliers, ensuring performance and issue resolution, manage local supplier relationships within global frameworks, escalates technical issues and participates in supplier qualifications and trials, collaborate with Procurement on cost optimisation, lead times, and material substitutions.
* Sustainability & Waste Reduction – Support implementation of site‑level circularity initiatives, track and report on packaging waste, rework, and root cause analysis, ensure alignment with company and regulatory sustainability goals.
* Systems, Data & Continuous Improvement – Maintain packaging data in local systems, support continuous improvement projects impacting packaging line efficiency and waste, participate in Lean reviews focused on packaging.
* Cross‑Functional & Global Collaboration – Represent the site in global packaging forums, NPD stage gates, and compliance reviews, share site learnings, technical feedback, and operational risks to shape future global decisions, align local practices with global packaging strategy, compliance and sustainability roadmaps.
Key Requirements and Competencies
* FMCG background, preferably food or pharmaceutical, with experience in packaged consumer goods and a proven track record of introducing and validating new packaging products and manufacturing processes.
* Knowledge of rigid and flexible packaging items such as tubs, pots, fiber‑based products, films and their materials and manufacturing processes.
* Ability to interpret and create technical drawings, ideally with 3D CAD experience.
* Experience working through stage‑and‑gate product development processes.
* Proven ability and aptitude to apply technical knowledge within a commercial environment.
* Able to leverage interpersonal skills to form strong relationships and build networks.
* Curiosity – open to asking questions, willing to learn and drive continuous improvement.
* Forward‑Looking – responds positively to change and looks ahead to anticipate tasks, ensuring benefits to others.
* Communicative – communicates openly and clearly, listens respectfully.
* Expertise – applies effective professional skill, analysis, problem solving, decision making, prioritising, planning, and reviewing.
Closing date: 30th October 2025.
Seniority level: Mid‑Senior level.
Employment type: Full‑time.
Job function: Design, Art/Creative, and Information Technology.
Industry: Food and Beverage Manufacturing.
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