Overview
Packaging Sustainability & Innovation Lead – Ornua. Location: Dublin/Mitchelstown. Team: R&D. Reports to: Head of Packaging. This role leads the delivery of the packaging sustainability strategy, driving innovation, regulatory compliance, and design-for-recycling initiatives across global markets. The role also delivers NPD projects from a packaging perspective, guiding ideation, development, and validation to embed sustainability from concept to launch.
Key Responsibilities
* Design for Recycling: Develop and implement design-for-recycling guidelines and embed them into packaging processes and cross-functional ways of working.
* Regulatory Compliance: Monitor EU, UK&I, and US packaging legislation and translate requirements into actionable business strategies ensuring compliance.
* Roadmap Development: Support the Head of Global Packaging in maintaining the packaging sustainability roadmap in line with legislation changes and business priorities.
* Option Mapping: Assess close-in, mid-term, and longer-term sustainability opportunities; conduct technical evaluations and make recommendations to enable business decisions.
* Material & Technical Assessment: Evaluate packaging materials and technologies (fibre-based, rigid & flexible, metal packaging materials, polymers and coatings) for recyclability, sustainability performance, and fit-for-purpose design.
* Impact Assessments & Continuous Improvement: Conduct sustainability impact assessments (e.g., LCAs, recyclability testing) and identify opportunities to improve recyclability, reduce environmental impact, and drive efficiency in packaging design and material use.
* Data & Reporting: Track sustainability performance metrics and provide evidence-based insights for internal decision-making and external reporting.
* New Product Development: Attend and contribute to ideation workshops; translate opportunities into sustainable packaging solutions, support development and validation of new packaging components, and deliver packaging workstreams within NPD projects to meet timelines and sustainability objectives.
* Stakeholder Management: Collaborate with internal Global and Local Units (Markets, ESG, Operations, Procurement, Commercial) and external partners to align packaging solutions with sustainability goals and business needs.
Qualifications & Requirements
* Bachelor’s or advanced degree in Packaging, Engineering, Sustainability, or a related field.
* Strong understanding of EU, UK&I, and US packaging regulations, with the ability to translate sustainability requirements into business actions.
* Proven experience in packaging sustainability, including design-for-recycling, impact assessments (LCA, recyclability testing, downgauging), and responsible material selection.
* Technical knowledge of fibre-based, metal (rigid & flexible), polymers and coatings.
* Ability to evaluate opportunities across near-term to long-term horizons, combining technical feasibility with commercial insight.
* Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret complex data and provide evidence-based recommendations.
* Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with experience influencing cross-functional teams and external partners.
* Demonstrated experience in project management and delivering packaging initiatives, including NPD projects.
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