Packaging Development Manager

Want to help us bring happiness to the world? Want to join an ambitious and fast-growing global biscuits and confectionery business investing heavily in iconic global brands, infrastructure, and people? Then this is the place for you.

As proud bakers and chocolatiers and custodians of iconic global brands, we don’t compromise on the quality of ingredients in our products or on the people we hire. We are looking for entrepreneurial spirits who share our passion for bringing happiness to our consumers and who embody our Winning Traits.

To succeed at pladis you need to be purpose-led, resilient and positive to succeed here because we expect pace and agility, we insist on collaboration and demand accountability. If that is your thing, then pladis offers global ambition, a clear Vision and roadmap for success, challenge, and unrivalled opportunities to learn and make an impact.

The Challenge

We are looking for an enthusiastic Packaging Development Manager with a big passion for biscuits and confectionery to lead our ambitious innovation, sustainability, and productivity agenda for pladis. We offer you the opportunity to join our team and contribute to our mission to bring ‘Happiness with every bite’.

The position entails

The position of Packaging Development Manager is part of the R&D team based in our historic Verkade factory in Zaandam. Reporting to the Head of Packaging EDM, this role is instrumental in developing and delivering the Category growth plan for pladis EDM region through the following key focus areas: Sustainability, cost saving, and innovation.

The role oversees packaging development activities for Zaandam, co-manufacturing, and co-packing sites supporting the Netherlands and Belgium business. The role will work with the extended team members across the broader organization, as necessary, to deliver projects. Pladis is a dynamic and multicultural organization where you collaborate closely with marketing, product development, operations, supply chain/engineering, and procurement in delivering our exciting portfolio to our consumers.

Your main responsibilities

• Delivery of the agreed Packaging portfolio OTIF with strong focus on value creation, innovation, and sustainability.
• Collaborate closely with product development, marketing, procurement, and supply chain to integrate packaging solutions into the product lifecycle.
• Create and manage packaging specifications in line with project, quality, and regulatory requirements.
• Own the packaging central database for Zaandam plant, intra-company SKU’s and co-manufacturing/co-packing products in full compliance with GS1 requirements.
• Continuously optimize packaging designs to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and minimize environmental impact.
• Ensure all quality testing and reporting is carried out for new packaging formats, e.g., shelf-life, travel tests, functional packaging tests, etc.
• Stay updated on packaging trends, innovations, and environmental regulations.
• Create material codes and provide logistic data for new products in JD Edwards system.

• Manage the creation and delivery of relevant packaging documentation e.g., cutter guides, artwork approvals, pallet patterns, component drawings, technical standards, travel tests, line trial protocols, and reports.
• Build timelines, identify risks, and build mitigation plans to address them in close cooperation with all areas.
• Communicates to the sites and stakeholders in all relevant functions all key information relating to their current projects and initiatives, highlighting any issues.
• Ensure that the correct project management process, stage gate, is followed for all projects.

What do you bring?

• Min. 3+ years in technical packaging roles within the food industry.
• Packaging development degree, engineering or related.
• Working knowledge in flexibles, paper, and corrugated board.
• Up to date with sustainable packaging materials and industry regulations.
• Experience in specification management handling large data sets of information is essential. GS1 know-how desirable.
• Excellent project management and communication skills with the ability to handle multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Knowledge of Cape Pack, MS Office (Proficiency in Excel) and CAD. Experience with JD Edwards desirable.
• Flexibility and pragmatism.
• Resilient and results-driven.
• Fluent in English and Dutch.
• Able to work in NL.

What we offer

Working for pladis means challenging jobs, career opportunities, and an inspiring environment that allows you to enhance your personal development. pladis recognizes that the ongoing success of the company depends on the continued development and engagement of our employees and pursues a fair and competitive remuneration policy, recognizing individual and team competencies and performance.

A few of our benefits:

• Fixed term employment (12 months) with possibility of a permanent contract
• Development opportunities through our pladis Academy & other training programs
• A competitive salary
• Full-time employment (37.5 hours per week)
• 34 holidays (based on full-time)
• Pension in pension fund ‘Zoetwaren’
• Discounts on health insurance, gym memberships, bikes, etc.
• Biscuits, chocolate, and other snacks from our personnel store;
• The best colleagues in an informal working environment.

Who are we?

Koninklijke Verkade, founded in 1886, with amazing brands like Verkade en Sultana, is part of pladis since 2016. pladis is one of the world's leading snacking companies. We are the proud steward of over 300 years of family baking and confectionery experience. A worldwide community with 16,000 colleagues around the world. Each of us brings our experience in happiness. Each of us is unique, but we find each other as a family of bakers and chocolatiers, hardworking, with pride and purpose. After all these years we believe that biscuits and chocolate bring people together. We are pladis. We bake Happiness. Happiness with every bite.

pladis succeeds because of people like you. People who wake up in the morning excited to get to work. Who believe in themselves and their potential. Who want to grow as part of a global community of like-minded colleagues.

pladis colleagues care deeply about being the best. About winning, staying the course, and never giving up. Whichever part of the world we’re in, whatever our role. Whether we’re baking, working in HR, finance, marketing, or many other areas – we win as one pladis team.

And while we’re all unique, we share something in common. It’s the code by which we live and work. We call it our ‘Winning Traits & Behaviours’: Purpose Led, Agile, Collaborative, Positive and Resilient. Five aspects of pladis life that define who we are, how we interact, and get things done.

If pladis sounds like the place where you can thrive and help write the next chapter in our growth story, then check out opportunities around the world and follow us for the latest information from our teams.

Diversity and inclusion is central to everything we do and is reflected across our business. pladis brings together brands and people from around the globe – and this diversity is our great strength.

We’re an equal opportunities employer and believe in encouraging an inclusive environment where we celebrate diversity of thinking and respect everyone’s distinctive qualities and perspectives.

All applications will be treated with confidentiality. Third Party or Recruitment Agencies are not welcomed.

pladis is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to hiring a diverse workforce. All openings will be filled based on qualifications without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, marital status, veteran status, disability, age, religion, or any other classification protected by law.