Packaging Engineer (4-Month Contract)

THE ROLE
AG1 is scaling rapidly across DTC, retail, and international markets, with a portfolio expansion to meet the needs of our growing business and innovation goals. This pace has created an urgent need for an experienced Packaging Engineer to partner directly with our Director, Packaging Innovation & Operations to own end-to-end packaging development, PLM spec creation and maintenance, and cross-functional execution across primary, secondary, and component packaging.

Working across dozens of active SKUs in parallel, including moving between supplier conversations, die line reviews, regulatory compliance checks, and PLM data entry, within a fast paced work environment for the broader Supply Chain, PD, CMI, and Creative teams.

This is a 4-month contractor position expected to work 50 hours/week minimum. The location is fully remote (US-based) with occasional travel to copackers and suppliers.

WHAT YOU’LL DO
PLM & Spec Creation (Primary Focus)

Create and maintain packaging specs in the PLM system (Oracle) across PA (packaging), PR (welcome/promo), FG (finished goods), CX, FA, and MM SKU categories.
Review and validate dielines, structural specifications, material specifications, technical data sheets and bill-of-materials for all new and revised packaging components.
Support and provide back up for SKU and UPC creation requests through the established intake process (Asana request form and SKU approval channel), maintaining a 48-hour turnaround target.
Partner with PLM, Regulatory, Sourcing, and Quality teams to keep spec data accurate, audit-ready, and aligned with master SKU hierarchies.
Partner with global suppliers for data and document collection.
Manage master versus variant skus and own assignation as it relates to new SKUs
Issue and route ECRs (Engineering Change Requests) for spec revisions and obsolete SKUs.

Primary Packaging Development

Support development and qualification of primary packaging including stick-packs, sachets (3-side and 4-side seal), pouches, tubs, and bottles.
Partner with copackers and film suppliers on dieline confirmation, film thickness and structure confirmation, trial runs, and commercial qualification.
Collect data and provide expert insights on trade-off discussions (e.g., 2.5mil vs 3mil film, 3-side vs 4-side seal) using cost, lead-time, supply-chain redundancy, and shelf-stability data.
Manage sample requests, ship tests, and pilot fills; coordinate sample distribution to internal reviewers, regulatory/quality, and 3PLs.

Secondary Packaging Development

Support development and maintenance of secondary packaging
Coordinate with print suppliers on dielines, color matching, print specs, and PO timing aligned to fulfillment needs at 3PLs..
Consolidate SKUs where possible to reduce complexity and unlock volume pricing.
Validate carton/shipper sizing against weight, dim factor, and retail shelf constraints

Components

Support Supply Chain team in creating and leveraging strong supplier relationships for packaging components
Collect data and support recommendations with co-mans
Support risk assessments on component quality and surface trade-offs to cross-functional stakeholders
Support component changeovers with creative briefs, artwork timing, and inventory sell-through.

Sustainability & ESG

Partner with the ESG/Sustainability lead and Product Development team to advance recyclability, recycled content, FSC certification, and traceability across packaging components.
Evaluate and document environmental impact trade-offs
Ensure compliance with evolving EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) regulations across US states and ROW markets.

Dietary Supplement Regulatory & Compliance

Apply FDA 21 CFR Part 111 (cGMP for dietary supplements) requirements to packaging selection, claims placement, and label real estate.
Coordinate packaging samples
Maintain awareness of food-contact material safety standards and migration testing requirements for primary packaging in coordination with the quality team.

Cross-Functional Execution

Support cross-functional interaction where needed by the Director of PI by working closely with Customer & Market Intelligence, Growth, Creative, PD, Regulatory, Quality, Procurement, Planning, F&D, and 3PL teams.
Surface risks, dependencies, and timeline impacts proactively
Maintain the P&C tracker and packaging readouts for innovation working teams and portfolio reviews.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR
Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Packaging Engineering, Packaging Science, Mechanical/Industrial Engineering, or equivalent technical field.
5+ years of hands-on packaging engineering experience, with demonstrated ownership of both primary and secondary packaging development.
Experience in dietary supplements, pharmaceuticals, nutritional/private-label, food & beverage, or comparable cGMP-regulated CPG environment.
Strong PLM/spec database experience (NetSuite, SAP, or equivalent) — including hands-on spec creation, SKU/UPC management, and ECR workflows.
Working knowledge of FDA 21 CFR Part 111, NSF certification processes, and dietary supplement labeling requirements.
Ability to read, mark up, and validate dielines and structural drawings; comfort working directly with copackers, converters, and print suppliers.
Demonstrated ability to manage a very high volume of active packaging SKUs in parallel without dropping balls in a high-velocity environment.
Excellent written communication and stakeholder management skills across technical and non-technical audiences.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience with flexible film packaging including film structure selection, sealing technologies, and copacker qualification.
Experience supporting retail rollouts including pallet configurations, shipper qualification, and retailer-specific packaging requirements.
Familiarity with sustainability frameworks: FSC, How2Recycle, PCR content, and US state EPR regulations.
Experience with welcome kit / unboxing experience design and component coordination.
Cross-functional partners (CMI, Creative, Procurement, Planning, Regulatory) report packaging is no longer a critical-path blocker on active NPD timelines.