Job Description

Position Title

Packaging Procurement Manager – FMCG & Food Manufacturing

Position Summary

The Packaging Procurement Manager is responsible for developing and executing sourcing strategies for all packaging materials used across the organization. The role ensures uninterrupted supply of high-quality, food-safe packaging materials at the most competitive total cost while driving supplier performance, innovation, sustainability, and continuous cost optimization.

The incumbent will work closely with Manufacturing, Quality Assurance, R&D;, Marketing, Planning, Finance, and Logistics to support new product development, improve packaging performance, mitigate supply risks, and deliver procurement excellence.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Procurement & Category Management

- Develop and execute category strategies for primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging materials.
- Manage procurement of:
- Flexible laminates and pouches
- Printed films
- Corrugated boxes and shippers
- Folding cartons
- PET bottles, HDPE containers, jars and caps
- Labels, sleeves and shrink films
- Mono cartons
- Pallets and transport packaging

- Develop annual sourcing plans aligned with production forecasts and business growth.
- Identify alternate suppliers and develop dual sourcing strategies to minimize supply risks.
- Conduct periodic market intelligence on packaging materials, polymers, paper, aluminium, inks, adhesives, and resin price movements.
- Lead RFQs, supplier selection, commercial evaluations, contract negotiations, and long-term agreements.

Commercial Negotiation & Cost Optimization

- Deliver annual procurement savings through strategic sourcing, supplier consolidation, and value engineering.
- Negotiate pricing, payment terms, rebates, tooling investments, and logistics costs.
- Drive Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) improvements instead of focusing solely on purchase price.
- Lead packaging cost reduction projects without compromising food safety, quality, functionality, or shelf life.
- Benchmark supplier pricing against market trends.

Supplier Relationship Management

- Develop strategic partnerships with key packaging suppliers.
- Evaluate supplier performance using KPIs covering:
- Quality
- Delivery
- Responsiveness
- Innovation
- Cost competitiveness
- Sustainability





- Conduct supplier audits jointly with Quality Assurance.
- Implement supplier development programs.
- Resolve supplier quality issues using CAPA and Root Cause Analysis.
- Maintain approved supplier lists.

Packaging Development Support

- Partner with R&D; and Marketing during New Product Development (NPD).
- Source new packaging materials for product launches.
- Coordinate commercial qualification of current suppliers.
- Support packaging trials and validation.
- Ensure packaging meets functional, branding, transportation, and shelf-life requirements.

Food Safety & Regulatory Compliance

Ensure packaging materials comply with applicable food safety and regulatory standards, including:

- Food-grade packaging requirements
- Migration compliance
- GMP for packaging suppliers
- HACCP principles
- FSSC 22000 / ISO 22000 requirements
- BRCGS Packaging Materials Standard
- Relevant local and export regulatory requirements

Maintain supplier certifications including:

- FSSC 22000
- BRCGS
- ISO 9001
- ISO 14001
- Food Contact Compliance declarations

Inventory & Supply Continuity

- Ensure uninterrupted supply of packaging materials to manufacturing plants.
- Collaborate with Planning teams to maintain optimum inventory levels.
- Monitor supplier lead times and capacity.
- Develop contingency plans for critical materials.
- Reduce inventory while maintaining desired service levels.

Sustainability & Packaging Innovation

- Drive sustainable packaging initiatives.
- Evaluate recyclable, reusable, compostable, and lightweight packaging options.
- Reduce packaging waste and plastic usage.
- Support ESG and sustainability targets.
- Collaborate with suppliers to identify innovative packaging technologies.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Work closely with:

- Manufacturing
- Quality Assurance
- R&D;
- Product Development
- Marketing
- Planning
- Warehouse
- Finance
- Regulatory Affairs
- Logistics

to ensure packaging availability, compliance, and continuous improvement.





Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

- Annual packaging cost savings (%)
- Procurement budget adherence
- Supplier On-Time-In-Full (OTIF)
- Supplier quality performance (PPM/Rejection Rate)
- Packaging material availability
- Inventory days of packaging materials
- Number of alternate suppliers developed
- Packaging cost as a percentage of product cost
- New supplier qualification cycle time
- Sustainability improvement metrics
- Supplier audit scores
- New packaging commercialization success rate

Qualifications

- Bachelor's Degree in Packaging Technology, Mechanical Engineering, Polymer Engineering, Food Technology, Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, or a related discipline.
- MBA in Supply Chain/Operations/Procurement is preferred.
- Professional certifications such as CIPS, CPSM, CPM, or equivalent are desirable.

Experience

- 8–15 years of experience in procurement, sourcing, or packaging within FMCG or food manufacturing.
- At least 5 years managing packaging procurement categories.
- Experience handling annual packaging procurement budgets.
- Proven experience negotiating long-term supplier contracts.
- Strong exposure to packaging development and supplier qualification.

Technical Knowledge

- Food packaging materials
- Flexible packaging
- Corrugated packaging
- Plastics and polymers
- Packaging printing processes
- Packaging machinery compatibility
- Food safety standards
- Packaging regulations
- Supplier quality systems
- Cost modelling and should-cost analysis
- ERP systems (SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics)
- Advanced Microsoft Excel and Power BI (preferred)

Core Competencies

- Strategic sourcing
- Commercial negotiation
- Supplier development
- Cost optimization
- Analytical thinking
- Risk management
- Stakeholder management
- Project management
- Decision-making
- Communication and influencing skills
- Continuous improvement mindset
- Leadership and team collaboration

Success Profile

The ideal candidate combines strong commercial negotiation skills with deep knowledge of food packaging materials and supplier markets. They are capable of balancing cost, quality, food safety, innovation, sustainability, and supply continuity while building strategic supplier partnerships that create long-term value for the business.

📌 Packaging Procurement Manager – FMCG & Food Manufacturing (India)
🏢 SEARCH UNICORN
📍 India