Regional Packaging Manager

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

Job Specification

Key Performance Areas:

Packaging Productivity

• Monitoring packaging efficiency impact on operational processes from packaging machine speeds to packing and pallet specification and ensure products are cost
• Perform standard packaging engineering assignments and using engineering techniques to solve problems and make
• Trouble shoot and problem solve packaging issues at the
• 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 to do

Value Engineering and Cost Savings

• Modify and improve existing packaging components and generate new
• Prepare packaging costings based on raw materials and manufacturing costs to ensure profitable products
• Attending and presenting at site meetings packaging opportunities and material right gauging and efficiency
• Test and analyse alternative packaging

NPD Packaging Concepts and Innovation

• Creative thinker and passion for packaging development and sustainability
• Work with the NPD team to ensure we have a full understanding of brief and support as required to meet product
• Compile/check and approve packaging specifications and labelling
• Proactively develop concepts for emerging markets considering new materials and
• Develop market leading packaging concepts meeting customer requirements including packaging mockups

Group Packaging Commodity Synergy

• Main point of contact on groups commodity packaging usage and
• Understand the groups packaging business capability in order to develop potential opportunities that are aligned
• Prioritise opportunities based on likelihood of success, complexity, investment required and size of
• Work with packaging procurement team to develop scope of

Lead and Manage Packaging Technologist

• Mentoring and developing technical packaging team members through a training and development
• Ensure staff remains relevant and is trained on packaging development process and is fully documented through in-house systems

Minimum Requirements

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 essential

Additional Requirements

• Knowledge of SAP
• Knowledge of the South African packaging industry 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