Packaging jobs in South Africa

AVI Ltd. is known for its leading household brands across many categories including hot beverages, sweet and savoury biscuits and snacks, frozen convenience foods, personal care products, cosmetics, shoes, accessories, and fashion apparel. NATIONAL BRANDS LIMITED operates 5 manufacturing sites, offering world class manufacturing facilities in Isando (Johannesburg), Rosslyn (Pretoria), Westmead and Durban (KZN).

It is home to some of the best-known South African tea, coffee and creamer brands, including our delicious range of much-loved savoury and sweet biscuits, and our melt-in-your-mouth snack range. An exciting opportunity exists for a Regional Packaging Manager at National Brands Limited (NBL) Durban (Pinetown).

Line Manager: National Packaging Manager
Number of Direct Reports: 1

1. Packaging Productivity: Monitoring packaging efficiency impact on operational processes from packaging machine speeds to packing and pallet specification and ensure products are cost effective. Perform standard packaging engineering assignments and use engineering techniques to solve problems. Troubleshoot and problem solve packaging issues. Provide packaging expertise to lead problem solving, packaging testing/trialing and resolve packaging issues/quality. Liaise with Packaging Material suppliers related to non-compliance against specifications, delivery, and introduce new designs as well as re-engineer existing packaging materials when required.
2. Value Engineering and Cost Savings: Modify and improve existing packaging components and generate new ones. Prepare packaging costings based on raw materials and manufacturing costs to ensure profitable products. Attend and present at site meetings regarding packaging opportunities and material right gauging and efficiency. Test and analyse alternative packaging.
3. NPD Packaging Concepts and Innovation: Creative thinker with a passion for packaging development and sustainability. Work with the NPD team to ensure a full understanding of briefs and support as required to meet product goals. Pile/check and approve packaging specifications and labelling. Proactively develop concepts for emerging markets considering new materials. Develop market leading packaging concepts meeting customer requirements including packaging mockups.
4. Group Packaging Commodity Synergy: Main point of contact on group's commodity packaging usage. Understand the group's packaging business capability to develop potential opportunities that are aligned. Prioritise opportunities based on likelihood of success, complexity, investment required, and size of opportunity. Work with the packaging procurement team to develop scope of projects.
5. Lead and Manage Packaging Technologist: Mentor and develop technical packaging team members through training and development. Ensure staff remains relevant and is trained on the packaging development process and is fully documented through in-house systems.

Experience: Minimum 8 years' experience within packaging development. Minimum 5 years' operating at a Senior Level. Experience with high-speed packaging machinery is essential.

Qualifications: A completed Science/Engineering qualification or Advanced Diploma in Packaging is essential.

Additional Requirements: Knowledge of SAP. Knowledge of the South African packaging industry is essential. Knowledge of QMS systems and HACCP will be an added advantage. Knowledge of packaging materials across various disciplines and formats, e.g., plastics, corrugates, paper, laminates, flexible films, etc. Must know packaging conversion processes such as blow moulding, injection moulding, lamination, cartons, extrusion, printing processes, and color technology. Expertise in carton erection and cartooning, collation, shrink wrapping, case packing – corrugate, case sealing and palletizing, and date coding. Pallet optimization and utilization using Cape Pack. Maintain Bills of Materials for packaging changes.