Senior Team Leader Packaging - Fibre and Flexibles

Research & Innovation

Are you an expert in fibre and flexible packaging with strong strategic leadership, ready to drive innovation at scale? Do you thrive on guiding high-performing teams and delivering packaging solutions that make a real impact? Join our Specialized Nutrition R&I (SN R&I) division as our next Senior Team Leader to lead our Fibre & Flexible Packaging team!

Nutricia Research Centre for Specialized Nutrition, located in the Utrecht Science Park in the Netherlands, is a state of the art Life Science innovation center for the development of new product concepts for Specialized Nutrition. We create formulas that provide clinically substantiated health benefits to vulnerable consumers – infants, toddlers, elderly and patients.

As our next Senior Team Leader Packaging - Fibre and Flexibles, you will shape the future of packaging at Danone Specialized Nutrition, balancing breakthrough innovation with operational excellence to ensure solutions are safe, compliant, and market-ready today while building a more sustainable and circular portfolio for tomorrow. Co-creating the global packaging pipeline with business teams, you will lead end-to-end development from concept to launch, translating consumer insights and market needs into high-performing, cost-effective, and sustainable packaging solutions. As a key leader within our R&I center, you will drive innovation, build capabilities, and influence stakeholders globally, ensuring we stay ahead through cutting-edge technologies, strong partnerships, and a high-performing, future-ready team.

Key responsibilities

• Co-create and deliver the global SN packaging innovation pipeline, ensuring excellence on quality, timing, and cost.
• Lead end-to-end packaging development from concept through validation, qualification, and market implementation.
• Translate consumer insights, market trends, and business needs into tangible packaging solutions and prototypes.
• Drive ideation and prototyping, turning concepts into testable and scalable packaging innovations.
• Ensure progress on packaging sustainability commitments and circularity objectives.
• Build and strengthen advanced packaging capabilities that benefit the wider SN/Danone organization.
• Lead cross-functional collaboration with global teams, markets, and external partners to deliver impactful solutions.
• Provide strategic direction and governance, prioritizing high-value initiatives and stopping non-viable projects early.
• Partner with IP teams to translate innovations into patents and protect competitive advantage.
• Represent projects to senior stakeholders through clear, impactful presentations and technical reviews.
• Build, lead, and develop a high-performing team, fostering a culture of learning, innovation, and accountability.
• Create and leverage external ecosystems to access new technologies and maintain a competitive edge.

About you

We are looking for a strong and inspiring leader with a clear strategic vision, who is result-driven, dynamic, and flexible. You have excellent communication and influencing skills, combined with strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities. You are able to build credibility, manage senior stakeholders, and develop your team to a higher level while balancing innovation with operational excellence.

Technical Expertise

• University degree in Packaging, Materials Science, Engineering, or a related discipline.
• 10+ years of packaging experience, with deep expertise in flexible and fibre packaging technologies.
• Proven track record in leading complex, multi-stakeholder packaging projects within FMCG, food, or healthcare.
• Strong knowledge of regulatory requirements for packaging in nutrition, infant, or healthcare categories.
• Subject matter authority in flexible films, laminates, pouches, sachets, and fibre-based packaging.
• Ability to embed eco-design principles (lightweighting, mono-materials, recyclability, renewable fibres) and drive continuous improvements in performance, cost, and sustainability.

Leadership & People Management

• 5+ years of experience leading teams (ideally 5+ people).
• Skilled in setting strategic direction, allocating resources, and coaching technical experts.
• Experienced in building high-performing, resilient teams that combine innovation with compliance and business continuity.
• Strong ability to connect across functions and geographies, fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing.

Skills & Competencies

• Strategic thinker able to translate vision into execution.
• Strong stakeholder management, persuasion, and risk management skills.
• Passionate about packaging, sustainability, and innovation, with proven success in global environments.
• Skilled in agile innovation tools and techniques.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to present to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Fluent in English; other languages are a plus.

About Danone

At Danone we are committed to our mission “bringing health, through food to as many people as possible”. We are working together to make sure that our brands, like Nutricia and Nutrilon, create real benefits for people, communities and the planet. You will be part of one of the largest Certified B Corps™ in the world. Being B Corp means to be part of a select movement of companies verified to be meeting the highest standards of social and environmental criteria and using business as a force for good.

Our state-of-the-art research and innovation center builds bridges between food and science and is global in reach, founded on over 125 years of experience in life & food science, technology and user experience and is at the forefront of pioneering advances in specialized nutrition.

We offer:

All Danoners receive a complete package of benefits. This includes a competitive salary and yearly bonus, a premium free pension, 30 days of annual leave (with the opportunity to purchase more) and you will receive a monthly health care allowance. In addition, you can get discount on your gym membership, and we offer initiatives focused on nutrition, physical, and mental health. We provide continuous learning opportunities through workshops, online courses and training sessions.