Principal Packaging Engineer

About Ingredion:

Join Ingredion, where innovation impacts lives worldwide! Without even realizing it, you’ve experienced our work in your favorite chocolate, your pet’s food, the paper you write on, and your everyday snacks. As a global powerhouse across more than 60 industries, we harness the potential of natural ingredients to transform lives. Whether you’re just starting your career or bringing years of experience, there's a place for you here to make a real difference. Be part of our team that values a wide range of perspectives and is committed to shaping a better world with every product we create.

Location: Bedford Park, IL plant, or Indianapolis, IN plant or North Kansas City, MO plant

Workplace type: Onsite

Provide a broad range of engineering expertise and technical support to all Ingredion locations in support of their safety, quality, manufacturing, and business goals. This includes mechanical design of solids handling, product packaging (dry powder) equipment and systems, process and equipment troubleshooting and optimization, packaging material design and optimization, development and review of potential projects and support during major project implementation.  Provide a high level of technical leadership through mentoring, leading task forces and teams and answering technical requests.  Provide coordination to ensure that Ingredion has, or has access to, the best technology in its business units worldwide.

What you will do: 

• Partner with customers, both internal and external, to deliver packaging solutions that enhance customer experience both in the packaging materials used and the packaging equipment.  Primary focus on packaging of bulk powders.
• Support a team environment that delivers innovative process improvements and provides process troubleshooting to resolve complex business issues.
• Maintain a high level of awareness of current and emerging technologies in dry powder packaging regarding materials, equipment, engineering, design, regulatory requirements and make recommendations on their application to improve profitability of operations worldwide.
• Being up to date on leading edge packaging technologies for bulk powders and liquids will contribute to this role being Ingredion’s subject matter expert on packaging.
• Develop innovative ideas, concepts or techniques that may be useful to our business and operations.
• Develop technical specifications and best practices for bulk packaging equipment and materials and share with the plants in the Ingredion network.
• Provide technical consulting assistance to Ingredion and outside engineering personnel in engineering, design, equipment specifications, project reviews, installation, checkout, start-up, testing, troubleshooting and optimization to support project and plant objectives.
• Review and recommend appropriate equipment and systems for new capital projects and existing installations to ensure that they comply with known safety best practices, applicable codes, and standards.
• Provide the technical support required for the negotiations of national and international contracts for selected supplies and equipment, capital purchases, engineering services, and construction services that will ensure cost effectiveness to all locations served by the contracts.
• Provide technical support and leadership to cross functional teams with members involving operations management, maintenance, engineering, quality, supply chain, and procurement to achieve manufacturing excellence.

What you will bring: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering with significant experience in industrial packaging engineering. Mechanical Engineering is preferred, but Chemical, Industrial, Packaging, and Electrical Engineering are also considered.
• Experience with packaging equipment (robots, metal detection, force flow packers, screeners, magnets, etc.) of bulk powders (primary focus) and liquids (minor focus).
• Demonstrated knowledge of sizing, design, fabrication, troubleshooting, failure analysis, GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices), production measurements and safety requirements of packaging equipment.
• Demonstrated knowledge of optimizing packaging materials to prevent damage while handling and in transit.
• Knowledge of general mechanical technology such as strength of materials, machine design, fluid mechanics and materials of construction.
• Experience or familiarity with control systems and troubleshooting.
• Substantial experience in engineering, design, and maintenance of mechanical systems and equipment in the food and ingredient manufacturing industry.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze and solve complex technical problems as applied to facilities design, operations consulting, equipment and packaging material failures and troubleshooting.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to prepare effective presentations, present tests and results, and write concise reports, document process and operational procedures, and complete the required engineering documentation including P&ID development for new and/or modified equipment and processes.
• Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to train and work effectively with all experience levels.
• Proven ability of influencing others towards positive change both inside and outside the direct chain of command.
• Travel may constitute up to 30% of the time on the job and may consist of consecutive weeks in any of the Company facilities worldwide.

Who you are: 

• Anticipate customer needs and proactively create new solutions that exceed customer expectations.
• Ability to work effectively with people from different cultures to accomplish business objectives.
• Act as a mentor, offering advice and guidance to colleagues.
• Respect and value others’ differences, seeking opportunities to learn from those with different perspectives.
• Self-starter, decisive, goals-oriented individual, capable of independent decision making with the ability to successfully meet targeted goals, on time and within budgetary constraints.
• Strong interpersonal skills suited to task force and consulting assignments and to directing or influencing others with the ability to interface effectively with team members, management, customers and vendors.
• Demonstrated application of sound judgment, resourcefulness, initiative, and innovation in handling complex technical assignments and integrating those solutions with business needs into decision making with minimal supervision.
• Proven ability to lead and facilitate in a team environment and build consensus in a positive manner with team members and customers.

Why Join Ingredion? 

Discover why Ingredion is the ideal place to advance your career with our exceptional rewards and benefits package designed to help you thrive. Create the future with us and enjoy:

• Total Rewards Package – Competitive salary and performance-based pay recognizing your contributions to our success
• Comprehensive Benefits & Wellness Support – Health, long-term savings, and resources for your physical, mental, and emotional well-being
• Career Growth – Learning, training, and development opportunities, including tuition reimbursement
• Employee Recognition Program – A culture of real-time appreciation, with personalized recognition rewards globally
• Employee Discount Program – Provides exclusive discounts on everyday products, services, and travel

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We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. Ingredion seeks to provide a work environment that is free from harassment and discrimination. We will not tolerate any form of discrimination based on race, color, religion, age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, handicap or disability—mental or physical—marital status, sexual orientation, veteran status, disability resulting from military service, or any other classification protected by law (“protected classifications”). We are committed to establishing and maintaining a work environment where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.

Ingredion provides accommodations to job applicants with disabilities throughout the hiring process. If a job applicant requires an accommodation during the application process or through the selection process, we will work with the applicant to meet the job applicant's accommodation needs.

Ingredion uses AI-enabled tools to support parts of the recruitment process, including resume screening and interview scheduling. These tools help match candidate skills to job requirements and streamline communication. All AI-assisted decisions are reviewed by our Talent Acquisition team to ensure fairness and compliance with applicable laws. By applying, you acknowledge that AI may be used to support your application journey.

Relocation Available:

Pay Range:

This pay range is not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Final base salary will be determined based on several factors which may include but are not limited to responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data and applicable bargaining agreement (if any).

Incentive Compensation:

As a part of the total compensation package, this role may be eligible for the Ingredion Annual Incentive Plan or a role-specific commission/bonus.

Benefits:

Full-time roles are eligible for our comprehensive benefits package which includes medical, dental and vision coverage as well as a 401(k) plan with an competitive company match.