Innovation Industrial Design/Development Manager - Customer Foodservice Packaging Solutions

Your Job

The Innovation Industrial Design/Development Manager is responsible for identifying and solving high-value customer challenges through innovative foodservice packaging solutions. This role partners cross-functionally with sales, customers, and product development to develop differentiated products that create mutual benefit and drive profitable growth.

This individual applies Principle-Based Management (PBM) by leveraging customer insight, ownership, and rapid experimentation to move ideas from concept to commercialization with speed and discipline.

What You Will Do

Create Value for Customer

• Partner with sales and customers to identify unmet needs and high-value problems in foodservice packaging.
• Translate real-world customer applications into innovative packaging concepts.
• Build credibility and trust with customers through deep understanding of application requirements.

Lead Innovation & Development

• Lead the custom application development process from concept through hand off to product development.
• Develop and refine packaging designs that meet performance, manufacturability, and cost objectives.
• Leverage rapid prototyping and iterative learning to accelerate speed to market.

Drive Results Through Ownership

• Take full accountability for project outcomes, timelines, and execution within application innovation.
• Manage multiple development projects with strong organization and prioritization.
• Deliver outcomes that translate into commercial success and customer value.

Collaborate Across Functions

• Work across sales, R&D, engineering, and manufacturing.
• Balance independent ownership with collaborative engagement.
• Communicate clearly to align stakeholders and drive decisions.

Who You Are (Basic Qualifications)

• Degree in Industrial Design, Product Design, Product Engineering, or Mechanical Engineering
• Experience in packaging concept development
• Project management experience
• Ability to build relationships with customers and internal teams
• Experience with SolidWorks and Microsoft Office
• Knowledge of plastics and sustainable materials

What Will Put You Ahead

• Manufacturing or tooling experience
• R&D experience
• Sustainable packaging expertise
• Experience working with sales and customers
• Thermoforming experience
• Portfolio of prior work

At Koch companies, we are entrepreneurs. This means we openly challenge the status quo, find new ways to create value and get rewarded for our individual contributions. Any compensation range provided for a role is an estimate determined by available market data. The actual amount may be higher or lower than the range provided considering each candidate's knowledge, skills, abilities, and geographic location. If you have questions, please speak to your recruiter about the flexibility and detail of our compensation philosophy.

Hiring Philosophy

All Koch companies value diversity of thought, perspectives, aptitudes, experiences, and backgrounds. We are Military Ready and Second Chance employers. Learn more about our hiring philosophy here.

Who We Are

At Koch, employees are empowered to do what they do best to make life better. Learn how our business philosophy helps employees unleash their potential while creating value for themselves and the company.

Our Benefits

Our goal is for each employee, and their families, to live fulfilling and healthy lives. We provide essential resources and support to build and maintain physical, financial, and emotional strength - focusing on overall wellbeing so you can focus on what matters most. Our benefits plan includes - medical, dental, vision, flexible spending and health savings accounts, life insurance, ADD, disability, retirement, paid vacation/time off, educational assistance, and may also include infertility assistance, paid parental leave and adoption assistance. Specific eligibility criteria is set by the applicable Summary Plan Description, policy or guideline and benefits may vary by geographic region. If you have questions on what benefits apply to you, please speak to your recruiter.

Additionally, everyone has individual work and personal needs. We seek to enable the best work environment that helps you and the business work together to produce superior results.

For this role, we anticipate paying $90,000 - $130,000 per year. This role is eligible for variable pay based on performance

Equal Opportunities

Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and protected veteran status. Except where prohibited by state law, some offers of employment are conditioned upon successfully passing a drug test. This employer uses E-Verify. Please click here for additional information. (For Illinois E-Verify information click here, aquí, or tu).

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