Are you in a Pack-Tech, Operational or Procurement role within the FMCG industry, and looking for a change or thinking about taking the plunge into the corporate animal health & pet food world? 

Are you looking for job security in a business and industry that is growing? Do you live close by and want an easier commute to work?

We have the paw-some opportunity you've been looking for!

We are excited to be looking for our next Packaging Technologist based at our Yatala manufacturing site. In this business-critical role, you will be responsible for developing and implementing efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable packaging solutions for our pet food products. 

You will work closely with cross-functional teams, including R&D, marketing, production, and supply chain, to ensure that packaging aligns with product requirements, regulatory standards, and company objectives.

Reporting to our Packaging Manager you will be a part of an innovative national team that is highly collaborative and takes pride in seeking new opportunities and product development that improves and enhances how we package our products in a market-leading and environmentally sustainable way.

You may be a junior Pack-Tech or work in Operations or Procurement and are keen to take the next step with your career – what is essential is an ability to work in an environment that is fast paced but can have layers of ambiguity. You are known to be a go-getter who can be optimistic, driven and work unsupervised. And if you don’t have all the skills at the moment, we are happy to teach you if you have the right attitude!

Let's break it down! Key Responsibilities in the role include:

• Packaging Development: Design and develop innovative, practical, and sustainable packaging solutions that meet the needs of our pet food products while ensuring product safety, freshness, and integrity.
• Material Selection: Evaluate and recommend packaging materials based on product requirements, cost, sustainability, and production capabilities.
• Supplier Management: Work closely with packaging suppliers to ensure the timely delivery of packaging materials, monitor quality control, and manage packaging trials and testing.
• Process Optimization: Identify opportunities to improve packaging efficiency in production processes, reduce waste, and improve overall cost-effectiveness.
• Sustainability Initiatives: Collaborate on the development and implementation of sustainable packaging solutions, aligning with the company's sustainability goals.
• Regulatory Compliance: Ensure that packaging meets all relevant regulations, including labelling, safety standards, and food-grade requirements.
• Troubleshooting: Address any packaging-related issues in the production process, working cross-functionally to implement solutions.
• Product Launch Support: Provide packaging support for new product launches, ensuring packaging designs and functionality meet product timelines and marketing objectives.
• Market Trends & Innovations: Stay up-to-date with the latest trends in packaging technologies, materials, and sustainability practices within the pet food and food industry.

To be able to hit the ground running, you will ideally have:

• Ideally you are currently working in a Pack-Tech role but if you have the right attitude and are keen to step into Packaging Technology, we want to hear from you!
• An understanding of packaging technologies, materials, and processes, including but not limited to flexible, rigid, and sustainable packaging formats is great but we are happy to teach you if you have the right attitude and willingness to learn.
• Ability to work unsupervised and in a deadline driven environment
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to work collaboratively in a cross-functional team environment.
• Bachelor's degree in Packaging Engineering, Materials Science, Food Science, or a related field would be great but isn’t essential.
• Relevant certifications in packaging technology or sustainability (e.g., ISTA, WPO) would be advantageous.

What we’re about
Welcome to RPF, where we believe in keeping it Real.

Since 1994, we have been Australia and New Zealand’s pioneers in fresher dog and cat nutrition. Our story is one of passion for a better way to care for pets, a belief in fresher nutrition, and an unwavering commitment to delivering this to pet parents and pets worldwide.

We're dedicated to fostering authentic partnerships, encouraging real ambition, and providing real career opportunities for our employees to make a difference.

Real means fresher ingredients and fresher methods. We'll never stop expanding, innovating, and trying new things. We compete in every pet category and channel, creating favourite brands such as Ivory Coat, Nature’s Gift, V.I.P. Petfoods, Love ‘Em, & Fussy Cat!

Since the establishment of RPF, we have grown to over 900 people across Australia and New Zealand, China, Southeast Asia and Europe.

With the pet industry growing rapidly (a $15 billion industry!) and pets becoming increasingly important in our lives and homes, this is a unique opportunity to be a part of our remarkable growth story and advance your career.

RPF Benefits:

Working for our Pack provides you unique advantages including:

• Career development that is only as limited as your thinking
• Unlimited Access to our Digital Learning Platforms (UKG Learning, LinkedIn Learning)
• Pet Parents leave for those times when need to care for your fur-babies
• RPF Me Days - to celebrate each service anniversary you will get one day off all to yourself!
• Employee Assistance Program
• Additional Employee Benefits through our valued partner Flare HR. This gives you access to perks from brands such as Adore Beauty, Hello Fresh, AIA Vitality and hundreds of discounts at a variety of retailers so there is something of value for everyone.
• We value collaboration and believe that being in office and around your stakeholders is essential to be successful in this role. Our teams are on site 4 days a week with one day a week WFH. Flexibility can be considered depending on business needs.

What’s next?
If you are passionate about packaging innovation, sustainability, and the pet food industry, and you thrive in a dynamic and fast-paced environment, we would love to hear from you! With your application, you will be required to:

• Engage in an initial phone call with successful candidates progressing through our face-to-face interview process on site.
• Agree to allowing RPF to contact up to two references.

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Diversity’s not a buzzword here, it’s in our DNA. Diverse perspectives shape our culture and make our work better. That’s why we’re committed to building inclusive teams that represent a variety of backgrounds and skills. If you need any reasonable adjustments, accessibility assistance or would like to note which pronouns you use at any stage of our hiring process, just contact us at: careers@realpetfoodco.com.au