Senior Director, Packaging Development

Please note: This is not a Remote role and will require the incumbent to be based in Tokyo, Japan and follow a hybrid work schedule. This is a People Leader/ People Manager role.

The Senior Director of Packaging Development will champion our mission to build, enhance and protect superior consumer packaging experiences in APAC region.  This role is responsible for working cross-functionally to develop the APAC packaging strategy, align on a robust packaging innovation and sustainability pipeline that meets global and regional business objectives, support business continuity, build a high performing team of packaging leaders and ensure project execution with excellence. 

The Senior Director of Packaging Development is based in Tokyo and will lead the packaging development teams in Tokyo and Shanghai Technical Centers. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in developing new packaging technologies, aligning cross-functional leaders on an innovation strategy, and leading a dynamic team to execute a large portfolio of projects.

What You’ll Do for Us:

• Technical Leadership: Provide technical leadership on developing a pipeline of packaging design and technologies from ideation to commercialization. Use advanced understanding of packaging materials, production processes, sustainability, and cutting-edge technologies to develop innovative solutions. Strong knowledge of industry trends and an ability to adopt new technology to ensure our packaging remains at the forefront of sustainability and innovation.

• Innovation and Sustainability: Network with the global packaging R&D community to identify, assess, and bring packaging innovation opportunities inside to support business growth. Lead in environmentally friendly packaging innovations and ensure compliance with local regulations and company standards.

• Visionary Thinking: Articulate a future state for packaging to deliver our sustainability goals and business objectives.  Lead the team in thinking beyond current limitations to explore new and innovative packaging solutions.

• Strategic Leadership: Work cross-functionally to align key stakeholders on strategic plans that deliver the company's vision for the future of packaging. Lead the development of compelling business cases for new packages, using scientific, consumer, and business data. Build and motivate the technical resources to deliver these ambitions.

• Team Leadership: Build and motivate a high-performing team of technical packaging leaders and SMEs. Foster a team environment that leads to growth behavior, development of people, and supports responsible decision-making.

• Stakeholder Engagement: Shape and inspire technical strategy by developing excellent rapport with colleagues and earning status as a recognized expert. Build partnership relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including suppliers, universities, research institutes, and innovation agencies. Understand system needs and capabilities to appropriately influence packaging innovation decisions. Negotiation and enforce as necessary technical requirements with supply chain, bottlers and suppliers.   

• Global Mindset: Cultivate a global perspective within the team by building rapport at all levels with our global network. Leverage the global system to drive scale and fast adoption of new technologies.

• Compliance and Intellectual Property: Ensure all packaging initiatives comply with safety and regulatory affairs. Maintain a clear understanding of intellectual property laws and patent interpretation to protect our innovations.

• Budget Management: Manage the packaging development budget effectively.

Qualifications & Requirements: 

• Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD in Packaging Engineering, Materials/Polymer Science, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or related field.

• 15+ years of relevant experience, with 3-5+ years leading projects or teams, preferably with global or regional packaging development responsibilities.

• Strong leadership and team-building skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.

• Demonstrated ability to innovate and think strategically.

• Excellent communication skills and a global mindset.

• Basic understanding of safety and regulatory affairs.

• Clear understanding of intellectual property laws and patent interpretation.

• Fluent in English.

What can help you to be successful in the role?

Growth Behavior:

• Growth Mindset: Demonstrates Curiosity. Welcomes failure as a learning opportunity.

• Smart Risk: Makes bold decisions/recommendations.

• Externally Focused: Understands the upstream and downstream implications of his/her work.

• Performance Driven & Accountable: Has high performance standards. Outperforms her/his peers.

• Fast/Agile: Removes barriers to move faster. Experiments and adapts. Thrives under pressure and fast pace.

• Empowered: Brings solutions instead of problems. Challenges the status quo. Has the courage to take an unpopular stance.

Leadership Behavior

• Act Like an Owner: Deliver results, creating value for our brands, our System, our customers and key stakeholders.

• Collaborate with the System, Customers and Key Stakeholders

• Develops Self and Others: Develop self and support others' development to achieve their full potential.

• Drive Innovation: Generate new or unique solutions and embrace new ideas that help sustain our business.

What We Can Do For You 

• Career growth and development: Leveraging our boundaryless network, we provide access to educational platforms and provide coaching, mentoring and feedback, as a part of our Leadership & Development process.

• Diverse and inclusive culture: You’ll be embraced for who you are and empowered to use your voice to help others find theirs. We want to make our culture inevitable.

• International Experience: Become part of international projects and work along multicultural teams, through our global network.

Skills:

Production Processes; Change Management; Compliance; Research and Development Operations; Continual Improvement Process