Packaging Development Technologist

Carlsberg Group · Hemel Hempstead

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Job Title: Packaging Development Technologist 

Location: Hemel Hempstead – Hybrid

Job Length: Permanent

Working Hours: Monday – Friday (full time)

Competitive Salary with extensive benefits:

• Monthly product allowance – alcoholic & non-alcoholic options available
• Private Medical options
• Life Assurance 
• Company bonus scheme
• Access to 24/7 GP services
• Enhanced pension contribution
• Generous holiday (inc bank holidays)
• Access to a range of high street discounts

Carlsberg Britvic is the largest multi-beverage supplier in the UK and is home to some of the most iconic and popular beers & soft drinks, including Carlsberg Danish Pilsner, 1664, Poretti and Brooklyn to ale favourites such as Hobgoblin and Wainwright. For soft drinks, Carlsberg Britvic’s brands include J2O, Robinsons, Tango and London Essence along with the licence rights to the Pepsi portfolio in the UK including Pepsi MAX, 7UP, Lipton Ice Tea and Rockstar Energy.

With a strong national footprint, the Carlsberg Britvic business includes 5 production facilities and 16 logistics depot’s servicing customers up and down the UK. As these two historical businesses have come together, the one common goal remains, and that is ensuring our people succeed.  

About the role:

The Packaging Development Technologist supports the end-to-end development and delivery of packaging solutions across Carlsberg Britvic, helping turn ideas and business needs into robust, scalable and commercially successful products.

Working within the Innovation Development & Delivery team, you will provide technical packaging leadership on small to medium-sized projects and defined workstreams, from concept and brief through trials, validation, implementation and launch.

You will contribute to innovation, value engineering, sustainability, compliance and business continuity initiatives, while providing practical packaging support to manufacturing sites, contract packers and cross-functional partners.

Our Innovation Development & Delivery team creates value through strong technical expertise, collaboration and execution excellence. We are passionate about best-in-class packaging, developing products consumers love, and delivering projects with pace, precision and impact.

Key responsibilities:

• Provide technical input on packaging development projects from concept and brief through to commercialisation.
• Act as packaging technical lead on small to medium-sized projects and defined workstreams, managing priorities, actions, risks and project documentation.
• Create and maintain clear design briefs, supplier briefs, specifications, test methods and design-control documentation.
• Develop, execute and report packaging testing and validation plans, including laboratory, production line and route to market trials.
• Validate packaging designs through to full-scale manufacturing at Carlsberg Britvic sites and approved contract packers.
• Build effective partnerships with Marketing, Quality, Supply Chain, Procurement, Manufacturing and suppliers to deliver business priorities.
• Ensure assigned work is delivered to agreed timing, cost, quality and success criteria, following Carlsberg Britvic technical processes and project stage gates.
• Apply structured risk management tools and maintain clear mitigation plans for packaging, product, process and supply risks.
• Provide day-to-day technical packaging support for factories, supplier changes, quality investigations, root-cause analysis and change control.
• Develop and maintain accurate, statistically validated packaging specifications and methods.
• Support innovation, value engineering, line-efficiency, sustainability, compliance and business continuity initiatives.
• Identify opportunities to improve material efficiency, packaging performance, manufacturability and total delivered cost without compromising quality or consumer experience.
• Maintain an up-to-date knowledge of packaging materials, manufacturing processes, market trends, competitors, regulations.
• Manage multiple projects and priorities with appropriate support from senior members of the packaging team.
• Actively seek out new technologies and innovations that could be applied to current and future brands.

Experience and skills required: 

• Experience in packaging development, packaging engineering or a related technical role within FMCG, beverages, food, pharmaceutical or a comparable manufacturing environment is desirable.
• Working technical knowledge across a range of packaging materials, including glass, plastic, paper and metal.
• Understanding of the interaction between product, process, packaging equipment and packaging materials.
• Experience of working with manufacturing teams, suppliers and cross-functional project teams.
• Practical experience of packaging trials, testing, specifications, quality systems, problem solving and change control is desirable.
• Ability to interpret data, draw sound technical conclusions and communicate recommendations clearly.
• Good project management, organisation and prioritisation skills, with the ability to manage multiple activities.
• Strong IT capability across Microsoft applications; experience of project-planning and specification systems is desirable.
• Well-developed interpersonal, collaboration and influencing skills, with clear written and verbal communication.
• A proactive learning mindset and willingness to build broader technical capability across beverage and FMCG packaging.

Key behaviours:

• Bring fresh, practical and innovative thinking to technical challenges.
• Take ownership and follows through on commitments.
• Work collaboratively and builds trusted relationships across functions and with external partners.
• Use evidence, sound judgement and attention to detail to make robust decisions.
• Respond with pace and adapt priorities to keep delivery on track.
• Actively identify opportunities that strengthen Carlsberg Britvic’s competitive advantage.
• Put safety, quality, sustainability and the consumer at the heart of every packaging decision.

Qualifications:

• A degree, HNC/HND or equivalent experience in Science, Engineering, Packaging or a related technical discipline is desirable.
• Relevant packaging qualifications are desirable.
• Project management, Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma qualifications are desirable.

Our commitment to diversity equity & inclusion

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences - including those of different races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, ages, abilities, religions, and socioeconomic statuses. We actively seek to create a safe and inclusive environment for all of our colleagues, where diverse perspectives are welcomed, and inclusive practices are embedded in everything we do.

We are happy to support accessibility needs, to ensure a fair and equitable experience for all candidates, so please do let us know if you require any adjustments during the recruitment process.

Application process:
We read applications continuously, and vacancies may be filled anytime, so please apply as early as possible.

We look forward to receiving your application

This is an exciting time to join our newly formed business – with their incredible individual history’s, innovation of products and some of the UK’s most iconic brands, Carlsberg Britvic strives to deliver the best service to our customers and consumers. We aim to make a difference, bringing together two diverse companies, our global reach enables opportunity, growth and a chance to work with some fantastic people.

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