Principal Packaging Engineer

Company: Abbott Laboratories
Location: Lake Forest
Posted on: April 10, 2021

Job Description:

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals, and branded generic medicines. Our 109,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.About Abbott DiagnosticsThe key to successful treatment and full recovery is often fast, accurate diagnosis. Abbott's life-changing tests and diagnostic tools provide insights that enable smarter, faster decisions and transform the way the world is managing health. Our pioneering technology spans the world of healthcare operations - with medical diagnostic instruments, tests, automation and informatics solutions for hospitals, reference labs, blood centers, emergency departments, physician offices and clinics. Our location in Lake Forest, IL, currently has an opportunity for a Principal Packaging Engineer. This team member will lead the packaging team to establish packaging systems with optimal effectiveness. The Packaging Engineering group designs, tests, and implements packaging designs that are an integral part of the organization's Product Development process. The team also reviews and improves existing packaging designs, tests standards and guidelines for developing packaging solutions for the organization's products. Packaging engineers work with internal resources and packaging suppliers to achieve functional packaging goals. WHAT YOU'LL DO:

• Develops and specifies new and revised packaging.
• Provides direction in the development and implementation process improvements.
• Requires in-depth knowledge of industry regulatory requirements for packaging components and their related testing and documentations.
• Coach & mentor individual engineers and the entire staff in the lab to assure that best business decisions are made for ADD considering strategic direction and technical risk.
• Fosters a diverse workplace that enables all participants to contribute to their full potential in pursuit of organizational objectives.
• Oversee and manage complete packaging development process and systems, including the creation of packaging designs, prototype development, and performance testing protocol approach.
• Troubleshoot new and existing packaging problems involving designs, materials and processes and provide creative, timely, and cost-effective solutions.
• Analyze engineering drawings and specifications of product to determine physical characteristics of item, special handling, environmental and safety requirements, and types of materials required for packaging and handling. Understand the full system value chain from vendor production, fill site operations to freight and distribution.
• Establish standards and guidelines for supplier evaluation. Evaluate and select packaging suppliers/vendors; periodically conduct vendor reviews.
• Must be able to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Work closely with global suppliers, engineering, QA, product management, operations, and sourcing.
• Participate in cross functional launch teams, to deliver new products to market.
• Identify and implement cost saving and sustainability initiatives related to packaging materials, labor, efficiency, transportation, and storage.
• Work closely with supply chain to optimize packaging supply base for cost, lead time, quality, regionalization, standardization, supply assurance, and compliance with customer, regulatory, and internal requirements.
• Be comfortable and proficient presenting projects to teams and to management.
• Specify and recommend efficiency tools and test methods to develop and validate packaging designs.
• Work with operations functions to ensure that the packaging designs are optimized for manufacturability.
• Develop and implement comprehensive test plans to ensure that packaging exceeds internal and external customer specifications. EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE YOU'LL BRINGRequired:
  • Bachelor's degree in a related field or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
  • 8 years related work experience.
  • Provides direction and monitors progress of exempt specialists and/or supervisory staff toward departmental goals; monitors costs of projects and of human and material resources within a department or unit; monitors company-wide indicators such as market share and profitability; monitors external environment in area of technical or professional responsibility.
  • Will perform this job in a quality system environment.
  • Failure to adequately perform tasks can result in noncompliance with governmental regulations.
  • Develops and/or identifies new work processes and the improved utilization of human and material resources within the assigned or related functions or groups; facilitates others' participation in the continuous improvement program; investigates and solves problems that impact work processes and personnel within or across units or departments; develops and communicates a vision for the organizational unit assigned. Preferred:
    • Bachelor's degree in packaging engineering, Engineering, Life Sciences or closely related discipline; Master's degree
    • Experience managing and coaching a team
    • Packaging Material experience in corrugate/carton board, labeling/decoration, with rigid plastics and flexible films. DOT/DG Certification and Cold Chain experience a plus.
    • Demonstrable proficiency in CAPE/Topps, Artios CAD, AutoCAD, and Solidworks, MS Office Suite including Power Point needed.
    • Experience working in a packaging lab
    • Experience in healthcare, medical device or pharmaceutical industry.
    • Knowledge and understanding of medical device requirements (e.g. EUMDR), packaging design validation standards (ISO, ASTM, ISTA, DOT, IMDG, IATA etc.), drafting and specification standards
    • Full systems engineering for packaging from vendor, through manufacturing, distribution to end user.
    • Problem solving and decision-making skills
    • Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
    • Strong communication skills, orally and in writing. Presentation acumen.
    • Understanding of process improvement, quality improvement concepts
    • ISO 9001 certification (e.g., CQA, CQE, CQIA)
    • Experience in rapid prototyping
    • Ability to demonstrate project management skills and experience
    • Root cause analysis & Lean/6-Sigma methodologies. Certification a plus WHAT WE OFFER At Abbott, you can have a good job that can grow into a great career. We offer:
      • Training and career development, with onboarding programs for new employees and tuition assistance
      • Financial security through competitive compensation, incentives and retirement plans
      • Health care and well-being programs including medical, dental, vision, wellness and occupational health programs
      • Paid time off
      • 401(k) retirement savings with a generous company match
      • The stability of a company with a record of strong financial performance and history of being actively involved in local communities Learn more about our benefits that add real value to your life to help you live fully: Follow your career aspirations to Abbott for diverse opportunities with a company that provides the growth and strength to build your future. Abbott is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to employee diversity. Connect with us at , on Facebook at and on

Keywords: Abbott Laboratories, Chicago , Principal Packaging Engineer, Engineering , Lake Forest, Illinois