LAKME Packaging Expert, Colour

Job Position:  – LAKME Packaging Expert, Colour

Location: Mumbai HURC

Business Context and Main Challenges of the Job

The Beauty and Wellbeing manifesto is to drive Purpose Science and Desire. Our iconic brands give us a unique opportunity to create positive change, become a beauty company and achieve our purpose of making sustainable living commonplace.  

The R&D B&W Lakme Packaging Expert, colour cosmetic is a new role, and reporting to the Packaging Excellence Leader. The objective of this team is mainly to drive the Projects with lead deployment in the region India as well as develop Capability programs around efficiency, complexity reduction, and Sustainability as per B&W agenda.

Unilever recognises Packaging as an important part of the product mix. Not only does it fulfil a very important functional role, to contain, protect and inform, but also as the first “touchpoint” with the consumer, it must engage the consumer, reflecting the brand proposition, and delivering a delightful experience.

To ensure the robustness and technical performance of new packaging, before it is placed in the market, involves both design and technical innovation in packaging.

Working closely with other Unilever functions as part of a cross-functional team, the Packaging resource will support Packaging Excellence Leader with the co-ordination of packaging

development projects and will also lead assigned projects as packaging work stream leader by developing and executing testing plans for primary and secondary packaging, ensuring packaging is “fit for purpose” compatible with SC, Formulation, Unilever Policy, Consumer and Brand needs and legislation.

Testing plans can include laboratory tests (at Unilever, at our convertors, and at 3rd party labs), factory trials, and distribution trials.  The jobholder is expected to maximise the use of design tools and deliver projects using Unilever Innovation Navigator tools (IPM, Functional Excellence in IPM, & AI Hub facilities).

In addition to planning and executing a range of comprehensive technical validation tests, the jobholder is expected to interpret results, prepare reports, and communicate results/recommendations to the multifunctional project team to deliver the packaging activities.

This position will interface with Brand Development, Supply Chain, Procurement, Product development Regional Processing, CTI, CMI, Packaging and FG Suppliers to drive consumer focused innovative and optimised packaging solutions.

Main Accountabilities

• Deliver packaging which not only meets the required quality and technical standards, but also delights the consumer and builds brand love, through using Unilever’s Packaging Excellence best practices

• Independently lead and execute projects for Lakme ensuring FTR OTIF delivery, by closely working with Global Packaging Team, Formulation team, SUIT, CQA, Marketing and suppliers

• Network with packaging converters and material suppliers in the development of packaging components

• Manage assigned primary and secondary packaging projects, with minimal guidance, working with Brand Development and the cross-functional project team, ensuring packaging is fit for purpose to meet the packaging brief, and delivered on time, in full

• Evaluate and qualify packaging components for their project portfolio using both established protocols, and where appropriate, design new ones by closely working with external ecosystems

• Perform technical analysis of new packaging designs and provision of feedback to project teams with respect to design viability; also, identify possible solutions to resolve technical problems, minimizing changes to the design intent

• To manage good technical data records – project data, specifications, test results

• Where relevant, to deliver, as a member of a cross-functional project team, solutions to agreed projects, on time in full

• Prepare and develop supplier technical briefs where required, working closely with suppliers

• To interface with other functions in support of project delivery (e.g., brand development, supply chain, procurement)

• To manage and deliver agreed work plan

• To develop and test packaging in accordance with the One Unilever Packaging Process (1UPP)

• To comply with the Unilever Code of Business Principles and all Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) and Quality Assurance (QA) policies, including the support of product claims, risk management

Critical Success Factors of the Job

Key Competencies

• Personal Mastery

• Agility

• Growth Mind set

• Passion for high performance

Key Skills

• Working knowledge and expertise on a range of packaging materials – Rigid packaging and premium packaging formats, tubes & Paper/paperboard packaging

• Able to work effectively in multi-disciplinary, multi-cultural teams

• Technical specification & supply chain support. Project management experience

• Adequate knowledge of cosmetic packaging’s is appreciated.

Relevant Experience

• Education - Science or Engineering Degree with Packaging Degree Post graduation. Min.6 -10 years’ experience. Working knowledge of Rigid packaging & Paper/paperboard packaging.

Added advantage –

• Experience in Beauty & Personal care packaging in particular cosmetic packaging’s

• Capable of handling projects and decision making independently  

• Understanding on moulds & Design principles and should be strong on project execution skills.

Other personal characteristics

• Candidate should be creative in personal care characteristics, have strong design mind set, external orientation, appetite to explore new ideas across format and ability to work with diverse people/functions across geographies.

• Able to work effectively in multi-disciplinary & multi-cultural teams.

• Flexibility in work style to be able to manage several projects simultaneously.

• Must effectively communicate on technical issues with other technical personnel and nontechnical personnel and management orally and in writing

• Excellent influencing ability, both internal as well as external

• Strong organization, planning skills and information management

• Demonstrated ability to manage senior stakeholder relationship

• Good communication skills

• Occasional travel: 1 – 10 days (Domestic)

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