Packaging Design Engineer

ROLE SUMMARY

What are the key objectives and expectations from this role?

As a Packaging Design Engineer, you will be instrumental in inventing, designing and developing innovative packaging solutions for across all three new category products. Your primary focus will be on creating high-performance, sustainable packaging components using plastic injection moulding and fibre pulp moulding technologies.

You will be a key member of the Packaging Development Team within the New Categories R&D department, contributing to the delivery of packaging systems that meet functional, aesthetic, and environmental requirements. Working closely with cross-functional teams—including prototyping, testing, and manufacturing—you will be responsible for:

• Designing mechanical packaging components using 3D CAD tools, optimized for injection and pulp moulding processes.

• Ensuring design for manufacturability (DFM) and seamless integration with product architecture.

• Selecting appropriate materials and moulding techniques to meet performance, cost, and sustainability targets.

• Conducting tolerance analysis, mechanical simulations, and design validation.

• Building and evaluating prototypes to assess form, fit, and function.

• Supporting the development of custom test fixtures and performance testing protocols.

This is a mid-level engineering role, ideal for candidates with a strong background in mechanical design and a passion for sustainable, consumer-centric packaging innovation in a fast-paced product development environment.

What is the direct impact of this role on the team or organization?

This role will leverage expertise in design, mechanical, and scientific principles to collaborate with a diverse team of packaging developers and engineers in delivering key elements of packaging and technology development plans. In addition to driving project execution, you will contribute to building team capabilities and provide valuable insights that elevate innovation and performance across the R&D Packaging organization.

Reports to

Packaging Development Manager – Modern Oral

Number of Direct Reports

N/A

Core Relationships

Internal –
Global Packaging Community, Prototype Teams, Industrial Design Team, Product stewardship, Procurement, Supply Chain, Ops, Insights, Marketing and R&D Management.
External
– Suppliers, Contract Manufacturers

Geographic Scope

Global

Travel Required

Travel to suppliers/conferences as required (estimated 3-4 trips per year). Travel to other UK BAT sites as required.

ACCOUNTABILITIES

• To have accountability for the delivery of assigned activities across a portfolio of projects and activities within the New Categories (Vapour, HP, Modern Oral) packaging development cycle plans.
• To be accountable for concept, CAD design work including modifications, jig and fixture design and mocks ups.
• To hold mechanical engineering expertise to perform assigned tasks in the required time frames and contribute to schemes and creation of ideas in the development of new packaging and technology.
• To understand and perform tolerance stack analysis and apply GD&T requirements.
• To understand and define lab and testing techniques, required prototyping capabilities to perform assigned tasks in the required time frames to contribute to the testing of new packaging and technology.
• To minimise risk through awareness of best practices and compliance using technical knowledge and broad scientific principles to ensure effective delivery of an appropriate given task.
• To assist and work closely with the more senior team with a focus on upskilling personal breadth and depth of technical knowledge in new categories packaging development.
• To accurately record and store data generated by assigned activities.
• To be able to present and communicate findings from carried out activities using office & data management software.
• To ensure the confidentiality of all technology and compositions which ensure the uniqueness of BAT output.

EXPERIENCE, SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE

ESSENTIAL
(please provide
only criteria considered to be 'must haves'
)

Experience Required

• Demonstrated ability to lead complex packaging development projects from concept to market commercialisation.
• Knowledge and understanding of the key business activities relating to the packaging design, manufacture, and evaluation of products to meet consumer, sustainability and commercial needs.
• Experience of packaging development of rigid (plastic, pulp and metal) and experience of developing complex injection moulded packaging.
• Knowledge of designing and modelling packaging to meet product stability requirements and consumer useability criteria.
• Experience of rapid prototyping techniques especially related to development of injection moulded packaging.
• Working knowledge of developing and validating Child Resistant/Senior Effective packaging
• Experience of using CAD software (Solidworks, AutoCad etc.) and FEMS software (MoldFlow)
• Knowledge of use and properties of common plastic and fibre pulp materials
• Experience of working effectively in a global, cross functional team and a multi-category packaging team.
• Demonstrated extensive technical knowledge of packaging development within an appropriate or analogous category.
• Planning and implementation skills.

Technical / Functional / Leadership Skills Required

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skill
• Ability to collaborate with internal / external capabilities and plan and prioritise tasks based on business needs
• Persistence, attention to details, follow through and great collaboration skills working internally and external parties
• Broad knowledge of packaging substrates, artwork management, and printing technologies used in cigarette packaging
• Strong Microsoft Office skills, Adobe Illustrator, Solid Works, AutoCAD and other software used in packaging.

Education / Qualifications / Certifications Required

• Science, Engineering or other relevant degree, or equivalent experience.

BENEFICIAL

• 3 years' experience identifying packaging innovation opportunities

  
  
• Experience of commercialising a portfolio of packaging projects

QUALIFYING QUESTIONS FOR APPLICANTS

• Do you have experience delivering rigid plastic and fibre moulded pulp packaging innovations from concept to launch?
• Do you have experience developing consumer relevant and environmentally sustainable packaging solutions?
• Do you have experience project managing global projects?
• Do you have experience with rapid prototyping of injection moulded containers