Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of Food, Home and Personal Care products with sales in over 190 countries and reaching 2 billion consumers a day. Unilever has more than 400 brands found in homes around the world, including Persil, Dove, Knorr,Domestos, Hellmann’s, Lipton, Wall’s, PG Tips, Ben & Jerry’s, Marmite, Magnum and Lynx. Faced with the challenge of climate change and the need for human development, we want to move towards a world where everyone can live well and within the natural limits of the planet. That’s why our purpose is ‘to make sustainable living commonplace”

Job Purpose:

The TeaCo recognises Packaging as an important part of the product mix. Not only is Packaging a critical function within the TeaCo - the business spend on packaging exceeds €220mn and we partner with the world’s leading packaging suppliers.  Our Sustainability vision cannot be achieved without packaging innovation and technology that will drive growth and, at the same, halve our environmental impact.

Delivering superior innovations that are holistically designed for rollout will be critical for the TeaCo success. Packaging plays a prominent role in these innovation plans, and is a key capability to drive competitive advantage. 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.

The role will be based within the Tea Packaging team and will play a major role in meeting our growth and sustainability ambition. Tea brands include Lipton, PG tips, Brooke Bond, T2, Pukka and Tazo to name a few.

Working closely with other TeaCo functions as part of a cross-functional team, the senior packaging technologist will lead on innovation, renovation, and cost saving projects, landing consumer and customer preferred packaging designs.

The job holder will be expected to have an entrepreneurial mindset and not be bound by rigid processes.

The job holder will lead Packaging development activities across various platforms and ensure project delivery in close partnership across functions (Marketing; Supply Chain; Procurement) as well as key (external) partners and suppliers (e.g. 3PM, Material suppliers). 

You will bring your passion for Tea, and enthusiasm to know consumer and customer needs and trends and use this to shape and deliver brilliant, sustainable, packaging experiences.

Responsibilities:

• To deliver, as a packaging workstream leader of a project team, packaging solutions to agreed innovation, renovation and operational (cost savings, quality, complexity reduction) projects, on time in full, by following best practice in packaging.

• Liaise with packaging convertors and material suppliers in the development of packaging components.

• 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.

• Developing and executing a testing plan for primary and secondary packaging, ensuring packaging is “fit for purpose” compatible with SC, Product properties, Consumer, Brand needs and legislation. The testing plan can include laboratory tests (at TeaCo, at our convertors, and at 3rd party labs), factory trials, and distribution trials.

• To complete the content of technical specifications for packaging components.

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

• Identify and implement potential cost saving activities across the category packaging portfolio.

• Attendance of project meetings and deputise for manager when required.

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

• To manage and deliver their own agreed work plan.

• To comply with the Code of Business Principles and all SHE and QA policies, including the support of product claims, risk management and environmental awareness.

All About You:

• The candidate is expected to have relevant qualifications in an engineering/packaging related area at further education level, and suitable years of work experience.

• Suitable years of Experience in an FMCG company, ideally with packaging experience.

• Basic awareness in packaging expertise of a range of packaging materials.

• Working knowledge of the key materials for the category - Paper Board & Flexibles.

• Strong inner game particularly in personal mastery & agility.

• Strong outer game particularly in business acumen and passion for high performance.

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

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

• Understand risks and manage & mitigate those as appropriate.

• Able to tailor communication effectively with teams and senior leadership.

• Ability to influence new thinking with stakeholders and within team.

• Excellent spoken and written English.

What We Offer:

Not only do we offer a competitive salary, but alsoour pensionscheme,an annual bonus,a freegym,a staffshopand shares. You’ll get the opportunity to work directly with our renowned and exciting brands in a flexible and agile environment. We strive to achieve a family-friendly culture and to, above all, create possibilities for all.

Diversity at Unilever is about inclusion, embracing differences, creating possibilities and growing together for better business performance. We embrace diversity in our workforce. This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants and continuing development of all employees regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity.

Recruitment Fraud:

Cyber criminals advertise fake job adverts with prestigious employers as a way of stealing information or even defrauding individuals out of money. 

In the most sophisticated cases, they will set up fake websites, which have a similar address to companies like Unilever. They even conduct fake telephone interviews and then offer candidates a role with the proviso they pay a fee for background checks or to cover work visa costs.  These types of attacks are becoming more common as more people are looking for employment in the economic climate. 

How is Unilever tackling this?

Many of Unilever’s recruitment sites publish a warning to candidates about recruitment fraud. The Cyber Security team also proactively scan for signs of people setting up fake Unilever sites and act to close them down. 

What can I do?

If you become aware of potential recruitment fraud, spot fake Unilever recruitment adverts or fake LinkedIn profiles, report them to the IT Services Desk via Una Live Chat. 

Unilever does not accept responsibility or liability for any candidates who are financially impacted by recruitment fraud. Your vigilance is key!