Job Description

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. is one of the world’s leading manufacturers, marketers, and sellers of quality skin care, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products, and is a steward of luxury and prestige brands globally. The company’s products are sold in approximately 150 countries and territories under brand names including: Estée Lauder, Aramis, Clinique, Lab Series, Origins, M·A·C, La Mer, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Aveda, Jo Malone London, Bumble and bumble, Darphin Paris, TOM FORD, Smashbox, AERIN Beauty, Le Labo, Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, GLAMGLOW, KILIAN PARIS, Too Faced, Dr.Jart+, the DECIEM family of brands, including The Ordinary and NIOD, and BALMAIN Beauty.

Description

The Manager, Global Packaging Development is a technical and business leader responsible for delivering complex packaging programs while strengthening organizational capability across Packaging Development. This role combines deep technical expertise with commercial thinking, cross-functional leadership, and the ability to develop people to successfully bring innovative packaging solutions to market.

The Manager independently leads multiple packaging development programs across one or more brands or product categories while partnering closely with Marketing, Design, Product Development, R&I, Brand Value Chain (BVC), Global Supplier Management (GSM), Manufacturing, Quality, Regulatory, Sustainability, Material Science, Package Testing, and supplier partners.

This role is accountable for translating business strategy into technically robust packaging solutions that protect brand identity, enhance the consumer experience, improve sustainability, optimize total cost of ownership, and accelerate commercialization.

The Manager serves as a technical leader within Packaging Development by influencing cross-functional decisions, coaching less experienced developers, driving continuous improvement, and building organizational capability.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership Mindset

Lead Projects. Develop People. Drive Results.

Managers understand that leadership extends beyond technical expertise. Success comes from delivering business results while creating an environment where others can succeed.

Managers think beyond individual projects to understand how technical decisions affect consumers, brands, suppliers, manufacturing, commercialization, profitability, sustainability, and long-term business performance.

They lead through influence, coach others through experience, embrace innovation, and continuously seek better ways of working that strengthen both project execution and organizational capability.

Brand & Business Leadership

Managers understand the business implications of packaging decisions and align technical execution with commercial priorities.

• Lead Packaging Development activities across multiple projects, brands, or product categories.
• Translate business strategy, brand vision, and consumer expectations into commercially successful packaging solutions by partnering closely with R&I on new product forms and innovations as well as the Packaging Inspiration lab to assist in thought-provoking sessions for new packaging concepts and designs.  
• Balance quality, innovation, manufacturability, sustainability, timing, investment, and consumer experience in technical recommendations.
• Develop strong understanding of category strategy, competitive landscape, consumer trends, and financial drivers.
• Identify opportunities that improve value creation, reduce complexity, optimize total cost of ownership, and strengthen brand equity.
• Represent Packaging Development as a trusted business partner during cross-functional decision-making.

Innovation & Technical Strategy

Managers actively drive technical innovation while ensuring solutions are commercially viable.

• Lead development of innovative packaging concepts, materials, technologies, dispensing systems, and manufacturing solutions.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and supplier capabilities that support future innovation.
• Partner with Design, Product Development, R&I, suppliers, and Manufacturing to develop integrated product and package solutions.
• Guide technical feasibility, engineering trade-offs, sustainability opportunities, and commercialization readiness.
• Leverage AI-enabled technologies to accelerate technical research, engineering analysis, competitive benchmarking, risk assessment, and decision support.
• Drive innovation that improves consumer experience while balancing technical feasibility, speed, quality, sustainability, and cost.

Project & Portfolio Leadership

Managers lead complex technical programs while supporting broader portfolio objectives.

• Independently lead multiple complex packaging development programs from concept through commercialization.
• Develop project strategies that align with business priorities and portfolio objectives.
• Drive package feasibility, technical specifications, engineering documentation, testing, validation, tooling strategy, supplier development, and commercialization activities.
• Lead FMEA development and proactive technical risk management.
• Manage project priorities while balancing available resources, business urgency, and portfolio commitments.
• Drive value engineering initiatives that improve package performance, reduce cost, simplify manufacturing, and strengthen sustainability.
• Deliver projects that consistently achieve quality, functionality, manufacturability, timing, regulatory compliance, and commercialization objectives.

Cross-Functional Partnership & Executive Influence

Managers influence technical and business decisions through strong communication and collaborative leadership.

• Serve as Packaging Development lead for assigned programs.
• Build trusted relationships across Marketing, Design, Product Development, R&I, BVC, GSM, Manufacturing, Quality, Regulatory, Sustainability, and supplier partners.
• Present technical recommendations that clearly communicate business implications and engineering trade-offs.
• Facilitate alignment across diverse stakeholders while balancing competing priorities.
• Influence project direction through technical expertise, sound judgment, and commercial understanding.

People Leadership & Organizational Development

Managers develop technical capability while strengthening the Packaging Development organization.

• Coach, mentor, and develop Analysts and Senior Analysts.
• Provide technical guidance, project leadership, and career development support.
• Create opportunities for learning through project assignments, supplier engagement, and technical exposure.
• Foster collaboration, accountability, innovation, and continuous learning within the team.
• Support onboarding and capability development of new Packaging Development professionals.
• Contribute to succession planning by identifying and developing emerging talent.

Digital & AI Leadership

Managers integrate digital technologies into everyday engineering practice while encouraging broader adoption.

• Operate with excellence within the ELC digital ecosystems supporting Packaging Operations.
• Utilize AI to improve engineering analysis, technical documentation, project planning, meeting preparation, and workflow efficiency.
• Identify opportunities where AI can improve productivity, engineering quality, and project execution.
• Coach team members in responsible AI usage and effective digital work practices.
• Validate AI-generated outputs using engineering judgment and business context.
• Promote continuous adoption of digital tools that strengthen Packaging Development capability.

Technical Excellence & Engineering Governance

Managers strengthen technical consistency while continuously improving engineering practices.

• Apply advanced understanding of packaging materials, manufacturing technologies, decoration processes, package functionality, testing methodologies, and commercialization.
• Ensure compliance with Company engineering standards, PPWR requirements, regulatory expectations, and sustainability commitments.
• Review technical specifications, drawings, supplier documentation, and engineering deliverables.
• Lead technical problem-solving involving quality, manufacturability, performance, and supplier capability.
• Sponsor continuous improvement initiatives that improve engineering quality, development speed, process consistency, and technical capability.

Qualifications

• Education/Certification: Minimum BS degree in Packaging Science,Packaging Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Design, Materials Engineering, or a related technical discipline. CIPT or IOPP certification.
• Direct Experience: 5 + years experience in cosmetic package development.
• Experience in beauty or related industry with proven development experience.
• Proficiency in computer systems including Unique Package Definition Systems, MS Excel, Word, Outlook and Timeline management systems. Technical Competency
• Technical competency in analysis of geometric objects in 2 and 3 dimensions including understanding of clearances, fit and finish of packaging components and subcomponents.
• Knowledge of materials used in the construction and manufacturing of primary, secondary and tertiary packaging including but not limited to: Injection molding, Extrusion molding, Metal forming, Glass forming, Vacuum forming, Assembly of components, Dispensing systems (Pump, Airless), Folding carton and rigid box design.
• Knowledge of decorating techniques and materials used on primary, secondary and tertiary packaging.
• Knowledge of test methods used to validate component/package performance.

Independently Responsible For 

• Technical direction for assigned programs. 
• Project execution strategies. 
• Engineering recommendations. 
• Resource prioritization across assigned projects. 
• Supplier technical coordination. 
• Risk identification and mitigation planning. 
• Coaching junior Packaging Development professionals. 

Influences 

• Portfolio priorities. 
• Investment recommendations. 
• Supplier selection. 
• Manufacturing approaches. 
• Sustainability strategy. 
• Innovation direction. 
• Value engineering initiatives. 

Escalates 

• Strategic business risks. 
• Significant commercialization impacts. 
• Major investment decisions. 
• Cross-functional conflicts affecting portfolio delivery. 
• Resource constraints requiring organizational prioritization. 
• Technical decisions with enterprise implications. 

Pay Range:

The anticipated base salary range for this position is $87,550.00 to $143,800.00. Exact salary depends on several factors such as experience, skills, education, and budget. Salary range may vary based on geographic location. In addition to base salary, this position is eligible for participation in a highly competitive bonus program with the possibility for overachievement based on performance and company results.

In addition, The Estée Lauder Companies offers a variety of benefits to eligible employees, including health insurance coverage (medical, dental, and vision insurance), wellness and family support programs, life and disability insurance, retirement savings plans, paid leave programs, education-related programs, paid holidays and vacation time, and many others. Many of these benefits are subsidized or fully paid for by the company.

Equal Opportunity Employer

It is Company's policy not to discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions), gender identity or gender expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, military service and veteran status, physical or mental disability, protected medical condition as defined by applicable state or local law, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws and ordinances. The Company will endeavor to provide a reasonable accommodation consistent with the law to otherwise qualified employees and prospective employees with a disability and to employees and prospective employees with needs related to their religious observance or practices. Should you wish to apply for this position or any other position with the Company and you believe you require assistance to complete an application or participate in an interview, please contact USApplicantAccommodations@Estee.com.

Michigan Applicants: Persons with disabilities needing accommodations for employment must notify the company in writing of the need for an accommodation within 182 days after the date the person with a disability knew or reasonably should have known that an accommodation was needed.

Philadelphia Applicants: Philadelphia's Fair Chance Hiring Law

Rhode Island Applicants: The company is subject to chapters 29-38 of title 28 of the general laws of Rhode Island and is therefore covered by the state's workers' compensation law.