Senior Staff Packaging Engineer

Senior Staff Packaging Engineer

Location: Leesburg, VA (5–15% Travel)

Compensation: $128,000 - $136,000 Base Salary + Performance Bonus Potential

Company Overview

Our client is a leading privately held medical device manufacturer focused on developing innovative products that improve patient outcomes. This highly collaborative engineering organization partners closely with product development, manufacturing, quality, and supply chain teams to design and validate packaging solutions that protect complex medical devices throughout manufacturing, sterilization, transportation, and clinical use.

Position Summary

The Senior Staff Packaging Engineer serves as a technical leader responsible for the design, development, validation, and continuous improvement of sterile and non-sterile medical device packaging systems. This individual will lead packaging projects from concept through commercialization while partnering with cross-functional engineering teams, suppliers, and manufacturing operations to deliver reliable, compliant, and cost-effective packaging solutions.

This role offers significant ownership over packaging strategy, design standards, testing protocols, and continuous improvement initiatives supporting new product development.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, and implementation of sterile and non-sterile medical device packaging systems from concept through production release.
• Develop packaging design standards, engineering procedures, and best practices that optimize product protection, manufacturability, cost, and regulatory compliance.
• Create detailed packaging designs and engineering documentation utilizing CAD software (SolidWorks or Creo preferred).
• Develop specifications for primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging components.
• Design, execute, and analyze packaging validation and performance testing to ensure compliance with applicable regulatory and quality standards.
• Partner with Product Development, Manufacturing, Quality, Regulatory, and Supply Chain teams throughout new product development programs.
• Design transportation cases, trays, and packaging systems supporting sterilization, shipment, storage, and clinical use.
• Lead packaging-related risk assessments including DFMEA, PFMEA, and other design control documentation.
• Collaborate with suppliers and contract manufacturers to optimize packaging designs, improve manufacturability, and reduce overall costs.
• Identify and implement continuous improvement and value engineering opportunities while maintaining product quality and performance.
• Stay current on emerging packaging materials, technologies, and industry best practices.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Packaging Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Quality Engineering, Microbiology, or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum 6 years of experience in packaging engineering or packaging design and development.
• Minimum 2 years of CAD design experience utilizing SolidWorks, Creo, or similar software.
• Strong understanding of medical device packaging requirements, Quality System Regulations (QSR), and packaging validation methodologies.
• Experience managing multiple engineering projects within a regulated manufacturing environment.
• Strong technical communication, project management, and cross-functional leadership skills.

Preferred Experience

• Medical device packaging design.
• Sterile packaging systems.
• Packaging validation and testing.
• Transportation and distribution packaging.
• Risk management (DFMEA/PFMEA).
• Supplier collaboration and design for manufacturability.
• Cost reduction and value engineering initiatives.
• New product development within regulated manufacturing environments.

Benefits

• Competitive base salary
• Performance-based bonus opportunity
• Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance
• 401(k) with Company Match
• Paid Time Off & Holidays
• Paid Parental Leave
• Professional Development & Training
• Career Advancement Opportunities

Additional Information

• Full-time, onsite position based in Leesburg, VA .
• Approximately 5–15% travel required.
• Opportunity to serve as a technical leader within a collaborative R&D organization while developing innovative packaging solutions supporting advanced medical technologies.

Compensation: $128,000 - $136,000 Base Salary + Performance Bonus Potential

· Pay for this role is competitive and based on experience, qualifications, and performance. The typical compensation range is $128,000–$136,000 annually, with eligibility for performance-based bonuses and a comprehensive benefits package. Final compensation is determined based on experience level, technical expertise, and overall market alignment.