Engineer, Packaging III

Company: Exemplis

Department: Product Engineering

Location:

Cypress, CA, US, 90630

Work Designation: Hybrid

Salary Range: $112,406.00 - $168,608.00

Position Summary:

The Packaging Engineer III leads packaging development from concept through production, delivering structural packaging solutions that protect products, enhance brand experience, and meet cost, quality, and sustainability targets.

This role owns packaging design execution, validation, supplier coordination, and issue resolution, serving as the technical expert for packaging across product categories. This is a hybrid role requiring onsite work three days per week (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday).

Responsibilities and Essential Functions:

Packaging Engineering & Execution

Design and develop structural packaging solutions for new and existing products, including prototyping, validation, and production implementation.
Apply DFM/DFA and Value Engineering to balance protection, aesthetics, manufacturability, sustainability, and cost.
Conduct and oversee performance testing (e.g., ISTA, BIFMA) to validate transit durability and compliance.
Create and maintain accurate 3D CAD models, drawings, BOMs, and specifications within PDM/PLM systems.
Support prototype builds, pilot runs, and production ramp to ensure scalable execution.

Technical Problem Solving & Continuous Improvement

Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions for packaging-related quality, warranty, and field issues.
Drive cost savings, material optimization, and sustainability improvements across existing packaging.
Research and implement new materials and construction methods to improve packaging performance and efficiency.

Cross-Functional & Supplier Integration

Partner with Product Engineering, Logistics, Manufacturing, Quality, PMO, and Supply Chain to ensure packaging feasibility, tooling readiness, and production alignment.
Collaborate with suppliers to meet compliance, quality, cost, and timeline targets.
Support seamless transition from development to production through structured reviews and issue resolution.

Process & Digital Enablement

Standardize packaging documentation, specifications, and engineering best practices.
Support adoption of simulation, 3D validation, PDM systems, and AI-enabled packaging design tools.
Identify opportunities to compress development timelines and improve yield.

Qualifications, Skills and Education:

Required Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in Product Engineering, Packaging Engineering, Industrial Design, Industrial Engineering, or related field.
5+ years of progressive experience in packaging preferably in furniture or consumer goods.
Proven record of bringing complex, packaging solutions from concept through production.
Proficiency in SolidWorks (or equivalent CAD) and PDM/PLM systems.

Good understanding of manufacturing and packaging processes.

Preferred Qualifications/Requirements:

Experience with near-shore manufacturing (e.g., Mexico) or global supply chains.
Knowledge of digital simulation, structural analysis, or material validation tools.
Familiarity with sustainability or certification standards
Strong understanding of materials (metal, plastics, wood) and structural design.
Demonstrated experience applying DFM/DFA, Lean, or VAVE methodologies.
Strong understanding of multi-material systems (corrugate, foam, plastics, wood, metal components).
Leverage AI-driven tools and data analysis to enhance packaging design, accelerate development cycles, and identify opportunities for cost, sustainability, and performance improvements.

Perks and Benefits:
We hope that you’re excited by the possibilities that come along with working at Exemplis! With us, TEAM comes first. We bring integrity, passion, and excellence to work each day. Being part of our team means living our core values and thriving in an environment of constant innovation and positive change.

In addition to our unique culture, we also offer these fun perks and benefits.

Competitive Salary: Our compensation philosophy is to be externally competitive, internally fair, and not win or lose on compensation. Salary ranges are developed with the support of national benchmarks and industry best practices that adjusts to your cost of labor, years of relevant experience, skill set, and education.
Employee Discounts: We offer our employees discounts across all of our product lines.
Hit our Numbers Lunch: When we hit our monthly milestones, we all celebrate!

About Us:

It all started in a small warehouse in California with just three employees, a fax machine and a bell that rang out every time a chair came down the conveyor belt. 30 years later, Exemplis continues to lead, innovate and disrupt an array of industries through its growing family of brands — including SitOnIt Seating, Timbuk2, X-Chair, Maverick, Mavix, Edloe Finch, and Albany Park. From sustainable manufacturing to outreach programs and more, we strive to make a positive impact on everyone we serve. We make sure our people (and their communities) are at the core of our organization. To make a difference, we must be a champion of diversity, inclusion, service and social justice — above all else. Are you ready to be a part of something special? We have headquarters, offices and retail stores across the U.S. (plus a variety of flexible work opportunities). Learn more and apply today.
Exemplis is an Equal Opportunity Employer and our company adheres to the equal employment opportunity guidelines set forth by federal, state, and local laws. Read our full statement on our careers page.