Associate Director, Packaging Sustainability

Description

The Associate Director, Global Sustainable Packaging Development is a senior technical and people leader responsible for driving packaging excellence across a portfolio of brands, product categories, or strategic initiatives. This role provides sustainable packaging waste reductions for inbound and outbound protective packaging while developing organizational capability, strengthening cross-functional partnerships, and enabling Packaging Development teams to deliver innovative, consumer-centric packaging solutions that support business growth.

The Associate Director has an active role in packaging waste reduction, excess inventory reduction, cost savings, environmental footprint enhancing while partnering closely with EHS, CE, Regulatory, Material Science, Marketing, Design, Product Development, R&I, Brand Value Chain (BVC), Global Supplier Management (GSM), Manufacturing, Quality, Sustainability, Package Testing, and supplier partners.

This role translates business strategy into packaging strategy, balancing innovation, consumer experience, manufacturability, sustainability, speed to market, and commercial performance. The Associate Director is expected to influence organizational decisions, develop future leaders, improve technical capability, and strengthen Packaging Development processes across the organization.

Leadership Mindset

Build Capability. Think Strategically. Elevate Others.

Associate Directors think beyond individual programs to strengthen the organization, improve systems, and develop people. They balance technical excellence with commercial thinking and organizational leadership while creating an environment where innovation, collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement thrive.

They are recognized as trusted advisors who influence strategy through expertise, sound judgment, and an unwavering focus on delivering long-term value for consumers, brands, and the business.

Brand & Business Leadership

Associate Directors align packaging strategy with business priorities across multiple programs.

• Support the plan to deliver the ELC corporate Waste reduction goal.

• Implement a strategy to comply with tertiary reuse regulations.

• Influence Packaging Development activities across a portfolio of brands, product categories, or strategic business initiatives.

• Translate category strategy into sustainable packaging roadmaps that support innovation, commercial growth, consumer experience, and brand equity.

• Balance quality, creativity, manufacturability, sustainability, cost, speed to market, and long-term business value.

• Develop a strong understanding of category performance, market trends, competitive activity, consumer insights, and financial objectives by partnering closely with R&I on new product forms and innovations as well as the Packaging Inspiration lab to assist in thought provoking sessions for new packaging concepts and designs.

• Identify opportunities to improve organizational efficiency, increase value creation, and strengthen business performance through packaging innovation.

• Represent Sustainable Packaging as a strategic business partner within cross-functional leadership discussions.

Innovation & Technical Strategy

Associate Directors shape innovation by connecting business strategy with technical capability.

• Lead Global packaging waste reduction innovation strategies across assigned portfolios.

• Partner with CE, EHS, Design, Product Development, R&I, and suppliers to create integrated product and package solutions.

• Guide technical feasibility, engineering trade-offs, commercialization strategy, sustainability initiatives, and manufacturing readiness.

• Evaluate emerging materials, technologies, manufacturing platforms, dispensing systems, and supplier capabilities.

• Promote innovation that improves consumer experience while supporting commercial objectives and operational excellence.

• Utilize AI-enabled technologies to improve technical research, engineering analysis, innovation evaluation, competitive benchmarking, documentation, and strategic planning.

Project & Portfolio Leadership

Associate Directors oversee portfolios while improving organizational execution.

• Establish portfolio priorities that align resources with business strategy and commercialization objectives.

• Guide technical decision-making, engineering quality, supplier strategy, commercialization readiness, and risk management across multiple programs.

• Drive portfolio-level value engineering, simplification, sustainability, and cost optimization initiatives.

• Improve project execution through stronger planning, governance, resource allocation, and technical discipline.

• Ensure packaging programs consistently deliver quality, functionality, manufacturability, sustainability, regulatory compliance, and consumer satisfaction.

Cross-Functional Partnership & Strategic Influence

Associate Directors influence organizational decisions through collaboration and business leadership.

• Serve as a senior Packaging Development representative across cross-functional leadership teams.

• Build trusted partnerships with EHS, CE, Regulatory, Marketing, Design, Product Development, R&I, BVC, GSM, Manufacturing, Quality, Sustainability, Technical Packaging, and supplier leadership.

• Translate complex technical information into clear business recommendations.

• Influence strategic decisions by balancing consumer needs, technical feasibility, commercial priorities, investment, and operational capability.

• Facilitate alignment across multiple stakeholders while resolving competing priorities.

People Leadership & Organizational Development

Associate Directors build organizational capability by developing both people and systems.

• Global trainer for Packaging SPEC’s for suppliers and developers related to sustainability

• Lead, coach, and develop Managers, Senior Analysts, Analysts, and other technical professionals as appropriate.

• Establish clear performance expectations, development objectives, and career growth opportunities.

• Identify emerging talent and actively support succession planning.

• Create learning opportunities that strengthen technical expertise, business acumen, leadership capability, and innovation.

• Foster an inclusive culture built on accountability, collaboration, continuous learning, and curiosity.

• Improve organizational capability through coaching, process improvement, and knowledge sharing.

Digital & AI Leadership

Associate Directors lead adoption of digital technologies that improve organizational performance.

• Ensure operations with excellence within the ELC digital eco-system supporting Packaging development

• Standardize AI-enabled best practices across project teams.

• Utilize AI to strengthen portfolio management, engineering analysis, documentation quality, organizational planning, and knowledge management.

• Coach teams on responsible AI use and engineering validation.

• Identify opportunities to automate routine processes and improve organizational productivity.

• Champion digital transformation initiatives that strengthen Packaging Development capability.

Technical Excellence & Engineering Governance

Associate Directors improve engineering capability across the organization.

• Apply advanced knowledge of packaging engineering, manufacturing, materials, decoration technologies, testing methodologies, commercialization, sustainability, and regulatory requirements.

• Ensure consistent application of Company engineering standards, PPWR requirements, technical governance, and quality expectations.

• Lead resolution of complex technical challenges involving quality, manufacturing, supplier capability, commercialization, and innovation.

• Sponsor continuous improvement initiatives that improve engineering consistency, organizational capability, speed to market, and technical quality.

• Promote sharing of best practices across Packaging Development teams.

Qualifications

• Education/Certification: Minimum BS degree in Packaging Science, Packaging Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Design, Materials Engineering or a related technical discipline. Preferred: AI and IOPP Certification.

• Direct Experience: 8+ years' experience in cosmetic package development.

• Concentrated experience in prestige beauty industry with proven development experience in color, fragrance, skin care categories and Promotional areas.

• Proficiency in computer systems including Unique Package Definition Systems, MS Excel, Word, Outlook and Timeline management systems.

Independently Responsible For:

• Leading sustainability driven packaging waste reductions.

• Technical strategy for assigned programs.

• Resource recommendations within assigned portfolios.

• Organizational capability initiatives.

• Talent development and coaching.

• Technical governance across assigned teams.

• Cross-functional alignment for assigned portfolios.

**Influences **

• Category strategy.

• Business investment priorities.

• Supplier partnerships.

• Innovation pipeline.

• Organizational design.

• Commercialization strategy.

• Engineering standards.

**Escalates **

• Enterprise resource decisions.

• Significant investment requirements.

• Organizational restructuring.

• Major commercialization risks.

• Strategic supplier issues.

• Category-level business risks requiring executive alignment.

Equal Opportunity Employer

It is Company's policy not to discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions), gender identity or gender expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, military service and veteran status, physical or mental disability, protected medical condition as defined by applicable state or local law, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws and ordinances. The Company will endeavor to provide a reasonable accommodation consistent with the law to otherwise qualified employees and prospective employees with a disability and to employees and prospective employees with needs related to their religious observance or practices. Should you wish to apply for this position or any other position with the Company and you believe you require assistance to complete an application or participate in an interview, please contact [email protected].