Job Description:

Segment : Royal Canin

Localisation : Aimargues (30 minutes from Montpellier)

Type of contract : Permanent

At Royal Canin, we are committed to driving our 2025 vision by expanding our global portfolio of wet and dry products. Packaging innovation is key to supporting this growth, especially in providing tailored solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers. Importantly, all our packaging innovations are developed with a strong commitment to sustainability.

In this role, you will work from marketing briefs to support the diversification of Royal Canin’s product portfolio by developing innovative packaging solutions. You will ensure that packaging designs meet strict specifications and contribute to their successful implementation. This is a pivotal role in driving our transformation and maintaining the premium image of the Royal Canin brand.

What are we looking for?

• A Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Packaging Materials and Technology.
• Proven experience in wet packaging development within a related industry (e.g., retort pouch, cans, aluminum trays).
• Fluency in English, both written and spoken.
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to lead and execute projects effectively.

What will be your key responsibilities?

• You will manage packaging development projects from the initial marketing brief to the first implementation in the plant. This includes ensuring compliance with project Critical Success Factors, Key Quality Attributes (KQA), regulatory and food safety requirements, Packaging Risk Analyses (PRAs), qualification protocols, and production KPIs.
• You will play an active role in delivering the packaging roadmap and ensuring these innovation projects are completed on time and in full. In addition to broader risk management, you will ensure that all packaging meets Royal Canin’s sustainability standards.
• You will lead packaging development in collaboration with suppliers and the packaging buyer, ensuring alignment with specifications and project goals.
• You will support, revise, and implement appropriate qualification protocols to ensure packaging solutions meet specifications and quality standards.
• Continuously seek ways to improve the robustness of qualification processes, and escalate any opportunities for optimization or improvement.
• Collaborate with global and regional SQA (Supplier Quality Assurance) teams during the development phase, overseeing testing protocols and measurement tools for packaging solutions. Contribute to Royal Canin’s innovation pipeline by staying informed of industry trends, attending shows and symposiums, and generating and sharing new ideas.
• Follow the development process using Mars Quality standards and tools (TRL), ensuring effective project follow-up and information sharing. You will collaborate closely with the packaging buyer and Quality & Food Safety teams to manage innovation projects.
• You will lead and support the organization and execution of trials in collaboration with the DEPLOY team and the factory PPI and EF community when necessary.
• Influence the Royal Canin packaging community by optimizing material specifications, building market expertise, and challenging suppliers and internal stakeholders to drive continuous improvement and cost savings.
• You will also be responsible for providing all project-related master data on time and in full.
• Support the development and execution of Royal Canin’s global packaging sourcing strategy (MSSM) for all primary and secondary packaging.
• Focus on quality and innovation to create key differentiators within the pet food category.
• As part of the packaging innovation team, you may contribute to projects impacting any product in the Royal Canin portfolio, including dry, wet, complements, and secondary or tertiary packaging.

What can you expect from Mars?

• You will work in a multicultural environment (more than 40 nationalities) and where your dog will be welcomed by more than 100 other Associates’ dogs at the office!
• You will work in a unique campus, which gathers more than 800 Associates working for: the international HQ, the French subsidiary, two laboratories, a kennel and a cattery with more than 200 cats & dogs, and finally the most important factory of the Royal Canin group
• Since 2015, no waste to landfill is made by the 16 Royal Canin factories in the world
• All Royal Canin products manufactured in Europe are ISO 14001 certified from design to factory gate
• Since 2017, Royal Canin has supported the K-DOG program of the Curie Institute, which trains dogs to detect breast cancer via olfaction
• A unique and ideal work environment to become the leader in health through nutrition for cats and dogs!
• You will evolve in the heart of an innovative production plant that will challenge you, on a daily basis

Mars is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. If you need assistance or an accommodation during the application process because of a disability, it is available upon request. The company is pleased to provide such assistance, and no applicant will be penalized as a result of such a request.

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