--- title: '[US DC] Associate Director, Packaging at HelloFresh' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/us-dc-associate-director-packaging-hellofresh-newark-afb7bvtby82s' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-10-27' --- # [US DC] Associate Director, Packaging at HelloFresh - **Company:** HelloFresh - **Location:** Newark, NJ - **Compensation:** $170k–$211k - **Posted:** 2026-09-28 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-27 - **Apply:** https://careers.hellofresh.com/global/en/job/8224328?gh_jid=8224328 ## Job description Associate Director, Packaging Science Function: Packaging Science / Supply Chain / Food Safety/Engineering Reports to: VP of Engineering and Automation, Hellofresh Location: Newark, NJ Role Purpose: The Associate Director, Packaging Science will provide technical leadership for the development, qualification, specification, and continuous improvement of packaging systems used to safely and efficiently deliver fresh food to consumers. This role sits at the intersection of packaging engineering, food safety, cold-chain management, product quality, logistics, operations, and supplier technical management. The position will establish and maintain packaging and distribution specifications that protect food quality and safety throughout the delivery network while balancing cost, sustainability, manufacturability, customer experience, and operational performance. The Associate Director will serve as a technical authority for temperature-controlled food. You Will... - Own the technical framework and specifications for packaging systems used to ship perishable food from fulfillment through the customer's doorstep. - Establish and maintain packaging standards, technical specifications, drawings, performance requirements, qualification protocols, and acceptance criteria. - Define and validate thermal requirements for insulated shippers, liners, refrigerants, and packaging configurations across seasonal, geographic, and worst-case conditions. - Lead packaging qualification and validation programs spanning laboratory testing, pilot shipments, real-world distribution trials, commercialization, and post-launch validation. - Partner with Food Safety and Quality to prevent contamination, leakage, temperature excursions, product damage, tampering, and loss of product integrity. - Lead the development and commercialization of innovative packaging solutions, including sustainable insulation, reduced-material systems, recyclable/reusable packaging, improved moisture management, leak resistance, and enhanced dimensional efficiency. - Establish supplier technical requirements, qualification processes, performance expectations, scorecards, and change-control procedures. - Partner with Operations, Engineering, Logistics, Procurement, Sustainability, R&D, and Customer Experience to translate technical requirements into scalable and practical solutions. - Develop technical governance systems, including packaging risk assessments, distribution test standards, failure/RCA procedures, seasonal validation programs, and packaging performance dashboards. - Drive continuous improvement by using performance, temperature, quality, operational, financial, and sustainability data to improve packaging reliability, cost, efficiency, and customer experience. You Have... - 8–12+ years of relevant experience in packaging, packaging science/engineering, food manufacturing, cold chain, CPG, or a related technical environment. - A bachelor’s degree in Packaging Science, Packaging Engineering, Food Science, Materials Science, or a related technical discipline; an advanced degree is preferred. - Deep expertise in packaging materials and structures, including corrugated, paperboard, flexible packaging, films, laminates, insulation, seals, and primary/secondary packaging. - Strong knowledge of temperature-controlled distribution, heat transfer, thermal testing, refrigerants/phase-change materials, insulated shipping systems, and time-temperature profiles. - Demonstrated experience developing packaging specifications, technical standards, qualification protocols, test methods, and acceptance criteria. - Experience with packaging qualification and distribution testing, including thermal, compression, vibration, drop, puncture, leak, seal, moisture, and environmental testing. - Experience partnering with packaging suppliers and contract manufacturers on specifications, technical assessments, material changes, performance issues, and quality expectations. - Experience working cross-functionally with Food Safety, Quality, Operations, Supply Chain, Logistics, Procurement, Engineering, Sustainability, and other technical teams. - Strong analytical, experimental design, risk assessment, data analysis, and root-cause problem-solving capabilities. - Demonstrated ability to translate complex technical requirements into scalable, practical solutions for high-volume food fulfillment and distribution environments. You Are... - A technical leader who can establish standards, governance, and strategy—not simply execute existing specifications. - Data-driven and comfortable making technical recommendations based on objective performance and validation data. - A systems thinker who understands how packaging, cold chain, food safety, logistics, operations, cost, sustainability, and customer experience intersect. - A strong communicator who can translate complex packaging and thermal concepts into clear business and operational decisions. - Collaborative and influential, with the ability to build alignment across functions and influence senior stakeholders without relying solely on direct authority. - Curious and innovative, with an interest in developing new packaging solutions that improve performance, sustainability, efficiency, and the customer experience. - Highly disciplined about food safety, product integrity, risk management, qualification, and change control. - Comfortable operating in complex, variable environments where shipping duration, weather, geography, carriers, product characteristics, and operational conditions can change. - A relationship builder who can establish trusted technical partnerships with suppliers, testing laboratories, industry organizations, and subject-matter experts. - A people leader who can develop and mentor packaging scientists and engineers while building scalable technical capabilities for the organization. You’ll get… - Competitive hourly rate, 401K company match that vests immediately upon participation, & team bonus opportunities - Generous PTO and flexible attendance policy - Comprehensive health and wellness benefits with options at $0 monthly, effective first day of employment - Up to 85% discount on subscriptions to HelloFresh meal plans (HelloFresh, Green Chef, Everyplate, and Factor_) - Access to Employee Resource Groups that are open to all employees, including those pertaining to BIPOC, women, veterans, parents, and LGBTQ+ - Inclusive, collaborative, and dynamic work environment within a fast-paced, mission-driven company that is disrupting the traditional food supply chain This job description is intended to provide a general overview of the responsibilities. However, the Company reserves the right to adjust, modify, or reassign work tasks and responsibilities as needed to meet changing business needs, operational requirements, or other factors. Newark, NJ Pay Range $169,650—$211,000 USD ## About HelloFresh ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: HelloFresh is a global meal-kit and food solutions company that delivers pre-portioned ingredients and recipes directly to consumers, aiming to revolutionize the way people eat by making home cooking accessible, convenient, and sustainable. - **Entity Type**: Public (Ticker: HFG on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange) - **Headquarters**: Berlin, Germany - **Founded**: 2011 - **Founders**: Dominik Richter, Thomas Griesel, Jessica Nilsson ## Core Business - **Primary Industry**: Meal Kit Delivery / Integrated Food Solutions - **Target Customers**: B2C – primarily busy households, couples, and individuals looking for convenient, high-quality meal options. Also serves the ready-to-eat and pet food markets. - **Mission Statement**: "Democratizing access to high-quality food" by allowing everyone to enjoy a varied, tasty diet while helping consumers save money and reduce food waste. ## Products & Services - **HelloFresh (Core Meal Kits)**: The flagship subscription service offering pre-portioned ingredients and step-by-step recipes for a wide variety of meals. Type: Subscription-based physical goods. - **Factor_**: A ready-to-eat, chef-prepared meal delivery service (operates in the US, Canada, and Australia). Type: Subscription-based physical goods. - **Youfoodz**: A ready-to-eat meal brand in Australia. Type: Subscription-based physical goods. - **EveryPlate**: A budget-friendly meal kit brand in the US and Australia. Type: Subscription-based physical goods. - **Chefs Plate**: A meal kit brand in Canada. Type: Subscription-based physical goods. - **Green Chef**: An organic-focused meal kit brand in the US. Type: Subscription-based physical goods. - **The Pet Food Brands**: Premium pet food delivery services (e.g., The Pets Table in the US). Type: Subscription-based physical goods. ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: As a public company, market cap fluctuates. As of mid-2025, it is approximately €1.5-2.0 billion (based on public trading data). - **Key Metric (Annual Revenue)**: €6.76 billion in net revenue in FY 2025. - **Key Metric (Meals Delivered)**: ~850 million meals delivered in 2025. - **Key Metric (Employees)**: +29,000 employees globally. - **Notable Investors/Partners**: The company is publicly traded. Key institutional investors include major European and US asset managers. Strategic partnerships exist with various food suppliers and logistics providers. - **Growth Signals**: The ready-to-eat segment (Factor, Youfoodz) is a major growth driver, now making up a quarter of total revenue. The company is expanding its ready-to-eat offerings into European markets, building on success in North America and Australia. The company operates in 17 countries with 8 different brands. ## Competitive Advantages - **Scale & Data**: With over 18,000 recipes in its database and billions of meals delivered, HelloFresh has an immense dataset on consumer preferences, supply chain optimization, and recipe development, creating a significant moat in logistics and personalization. - **Vertical Integration**: The direct-to-consumer model gives full control over the supply chain, from sourcing to delivery, enabling efficient operations, competitive pricing, and rapid response to customer needs. - **Multi-Brand Strategy**: By operating a portfolio of brands (from budget-friendly EveryPlate to premium Factor), HelloFresh captures a wide range of customer segments and price points, reducing reliance on a single offering. - **Global Footprint**: Presence in 16+ geographies provides diversification and allows for the cross-pollination of best practices and technologies across markets. ## Strategic Focus - **Accelerating Ready-to-Eat**: The company is aggressively growing its ready-to-eat segment (Factor, Youfoodz) and expanding it into new European markets, seeing it as a high-growth, higher-margin opportunity. - **Sustainability & Efficiency**: Continuous focus on reducing food waste, optimizing packaging, and improving supply chain sustainability. The company highlights its role in reducing household food waste compared to traditional grocery shopping. - **Technology & Personalization**: Investing in data science and machine learning to improve menu personalization, demand forecasting, and operational efficiency. - **International Expansion**: Leveraging success in core markets (US, Germany, Australia) to expand into adjacent geographies and product categories. ## Why Work Here - **Culture**: Described as a "global tech company" with a "local start-up vibe." The company emphasizes a data-driven, entrepreneurial, and ownership-oriented culture. Core values include Ownership, Inclusivity, and Innovation. - **Diversity & Inclusion**: HelloFresh has over 10 employee resource groups (ERGs) and is committed to fostering a sense of belonging. The careers page states, "Everyone is welcome at our table." - **Work Environment**: The company operates in 17 countries with multiple offices and distribution centers. Roles range from warehouse operations and logistics to software engineering, marketing, and data science. - **Perks**: The company offers competitive pay and benefits, though specifics vary by location. The culture is described as collaborative, with a focus on "achieving something delicious, every day." - **Growth Trajectory**: As a rapidly growing public company with a strong focus on innovation and expansion, employees have opportunities to work on high-impact projects and grow their careers across different brands and geographies. ## Sources 1. [hellofreshgroup.com](https://hellofreshgroup.com/en/) 2. [careers.hellofresh.com](https://careers.hellofresh.com/global/en/) 3. [hellofresh.com](https://www.hellofresh.com/about/working-at-hellofresh) 4. [careers.hellofresh.com/leadership](https://careers.hellofresh.com/global/en/leadership-at-hellofresh) 5. 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