Laboratory Specialist, Packaging
About us
With over 200 brands sold in nearly 180 countries, we're the world's leading premium drinks company. Bring your passion and use your curiosity as you explore, collaborate, and innovate to build brands consumers love. Together with passionate people from all over the world, you'll test new ideas, learn and grow, and unlock a brighter, more exciting future.
Join us to create a career worth celebrating.
About the team
About the role
Purpose of the Role:
This role, reporting to the Technical Laboratory Manager, is an integral part of the Science & Technology team within Diageo Global Technical. It offers subject matter expertise in testing and developing packaging materials and formats. The incumbent will oversee the daily operations of the Packaging Commercialisation Laboratory, which includes conducting materials testing and providing insights to enhance manufacturing processes, performing material risk assessments and analyses, and supporting projects that require packaging testing, such as Brand Change, Procurement, Sustainable Packaging, and Luxury Packaging initiatives.
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Additionally, this role will spearhead the development of new pack test methods to manage emerging packaging material risks. A proactive approach is essential for interpreting results to formulate action plans that aid internal customers in root cause problem-solving, new product manufacturing, and improvement projects.
Based at the Shanghai R&D Centre in China's Technical Department, this position requires effective communication with sites and vendors across APAC and occasional travel.
Experience / skills required
Entry Level Requirements - Capabilities, Skills & Experience:
- Qualifications: Degree in a scientific or engineering discipline, ideally with a focus on packaging. Alternatively, possess at least 5 years of experience in packaging development within FMCG, materials production, or an appropriate laboratory setting.
- Industry Experience: Extensive experience in the production and testing of materials used for food and beverage packaging.
- Food Safety Expertise: Strong working knowledge of food hygiene standards, including HACCP principles.
- Auditing Skills: Possession of a lead ISO9001 audit qualification and relevant auditing experience is advantageous.
- Communication Abilities: Demonstrates clear thinking and effective communication skills, both verbal and written. Capable of influencing internal and external stakeholders through strong analytical and planning capabilities.
- Customer Focused: Deep understanding of customer needs and business requirements, coupled with cultural awareness.
- Professional Network: Maintains an active network in material science both within Diageo and externally to support the team as a Global Centre of Excellence.
Role Responsibilities
Key Accountabilities
- Compliance: Ensure laboratory processes are operated and delivered to uphold the health and safety of consumers, customers, and employees.
- Component Testing: Leverage expert knowledge in packaging test methods and result interpretation to accurately assess component performance. Craft technical reports for non-technical audiences with clear conclusions and actionable recommendations.
- Packaging Material Subject Matter Expertise: Utilize extensive experience with packaging materials used across the beverage alcohol industry. Conduct comprehensive materials risk assessments that predict potential risks and develop effective mitigation strategies, considering component-to-component and component-machine interfaces.
- Technical Development: Stay abreast of new advancements in packaging and materials testing. Proactively apply these developments to address business challenges effectively.
- Project Management: Demonstrate proficiency in managing projects and programs. Navigate ambiguity confidently, transforming it into tangible project milestones.
- Ownership: Exhibit proactive judgment to initiate solutions and drive them through to successful completion.
- Technical Problem Solving: Employ technical expertise to lead the resolution of complex technical issues.
- Business Communication: Translate scientific insights into compelling, influential communication for stakeholders. Take ownership of business benefits, commercial considerations, risks, and opportunities, acting decisively on them.
Excellence in Supply Chain
- Develop and Uphold Standards: Embrace, champion, and effectively apply established standards in all aspects of the role. Consistently adhere to these standards to ensure high-quality outcomes.
- Performance Management: Recognize the critical role of KPIs in driving performance and embedding sustainability ambitions within the organization.
- Continuous Improvement: Demonstrate flexibility and a willingness to embrace change by continuously seeking opportunities for improvement. Utilize a range of continuous improvement tools and techniques to solve problems and identify new opportunities
Leadership Capabilities
- Win Through Execution: Makes objective decisions and effectively drives them forward, even in the face of disagreement or criticism. Acts urgently with a focus on delivering results, maintaining momentum independently across various situations.
- Shape the Future: Generates innovative ideas that align with strategic plans, leveraging sound analytical decision-making to identify technically and commercially viable opportunities.
- Inspire through Purpose: Upholds integrity and builds trust across diverse situations. Demonstrates strong personal commitment to the vision through actions, motivated to make a positive difference. Responds to change with adaptability and positivity, understanding their impact on others and adjusting actions accordingly. Utilizes well-developed interpersonal skills to forge credible relationships by understanding what matters to others.
- Invest in Talent: Exhibits a positive and proactive attitude towards personal development and growth. Adapts effectively when confronted with new challenges.
Flexible Working Statement
Flexibility is key to our success. Talk to us about what flexibility means to you so that you're supported to manage your wellbeing and balance your priorities from day one.
Rewards & Benefits Statement
We recognise and value performance, offering our people a highly competitive Rewards and Benefits package including:
Diversity statement
Our purpose is to celebrate life, every day, everywhere. And creating an inclusive culture, where everyone feels valued and that they can belong, is a crucial part of this.
We embrace diversity in the broadest possible sense. This means that you'll be welcomed and celebrated for who you are just by being you. You'll be part of and help build and champion an inclusive culture that celebrates people of different gender, ethnicity, ability, age, sexual orientation, social class, educational backgrounds, experiences, mindsets, and more.
Our ambition is to create the best performing, most trusted and respected consumer products companies in the world. Join us and help transform our business as we take our brands to the next level and build new ones as part of shaping the next generation of celebrations for consumers around the world.
Feel inspired? Then this may be the opportunity for you.
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