Localisation : Aimargues (30 minutes from Montpellier)

Type of contract : Permanent

This role is global within Royal Canin, located in Global Commercial, but in close interaction with Marketing, R&D, EF community, plants , regional teams and with Mars Petcare packaging GIC.

As a Retort Packaging Development Manager, you will be in direct interaction with wet packaging suppliers (e.g. can and pouch) to ensure implementation of packaging solution in line with specification and matching RC expectations (recyclability).

You have to operate with a great level of autonomy, being the dedicated role deliver pack solutions applied to wet products (including loaf, chuck in gravy, chuck in jelly, jelly or gravy), which is including a great variety of packaging types. You will ensure the full compliance to the qualification protocol and the full traceability of the testing done to demonstrate the conformance to specification. Knowing the importance of the wet product portfolio in the business sister division of Mars Petcare, you will seek for alignment regarding these qualification protocols with the Mars Petcare Wet GIC.

You will deliver excellence in the execution of the qualification protocols within the respect of the Packaging Quality Management standard.

You will contribute to continuous improvement by leveraging your operational experience.

What are we looking for?

• Master degree or equivalent in packaging materials and technology

• At least 2 years experience in wet packaging development in similar industry (Retort Pouch, can, alu tray...)

• At least 5 years experience in the industry

• Fluent in English

• Able to lead a project

What will be your key responsibilities?

• You are responsible of packaging development projects from the marketing brief to the first implementation in plant in respect of Critical Success factors, Packaging Risk Analysis (PRA’s), qualification protocols and production KPIs. You will participate actively to the realization of the packaging roadmap. You will deliver those innovation projects on time in full.

• On top of a broader risk management, you ensure the packaging is meeting our sustainability requirements. You contribute with the RC Sustainability Director and Global Packaging PMO to create with our pack suppliers a successful roadmap.

• You will contribute to the creation and then apply the adequate qualification protocols to assess the conformity of any packaging solutions to the specification.

• You will constantly look for the best robustness in the qualification processes and escalate any proposal of optimization or improvement.

• You collaborate with global and regional SQA during the development phase of the new packaging solutions, including the management of our measurement tools.

• You contribute to fuel the RC Innovation pipeline by learning from show and symposium, and by sharing and generating ideas.  

• Follow the development process and Mars Quality standard and tools to help project follow up and information sharing (TRL). This management of innovation project will require close collaboration with the packaging buyer and the Quality & food safety teams.

• You will lead and support organization and executions of trials on line in collaboration with IHO team and factory PPI and EF community when relevant

• Influence the RC VCO packaging community to optimize the Pack material specifications, to build better market expertise, to challenge suppliers and internal stakeholders in a perspective of continuous improvement and savings. 

• Support the development and implementation of RC global packaging sourcing strategy (MSSM) for all our primary and secondary pack focusing on quality and innovation capabilities to enable key and real differentiations in the Petfood category. 

• Belonging to the packaging innovation team, you potentially contribute to projects beyond wet packaging.

• When relevant, accelerate collaboration with Mars Petcare Wet GIC and our wet plants to leverage and develop existing pack capabilities.

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