Assistant Manager, Packaging Development

Overview

Fuelled by passion, KAYALI was founded in 2018 by beauty mogul and fragrance fanatic, Mona Kattan. Translating to 'my imagination' in Arabic, KAYALI provides a modern fragrance experience inspired by Mona's Middle Eastern heritage and the art of layering scents to help you create your mood; where sharing scents is a ritual and smelling good is both an act of goodwill and self-love. Mona collaborates with world-renowned perfumers and sources the finest ingredients to create unique juices that are memorable, long-lasting, and cruelty-free. Each luxurious fragrance is an ode to true craftsmanship with stories from addictive notes to multi-faceted jeweled bottles.

Our Mission: To make everyone feel like the diamond they are. To build a global community of fragrance lovers through scent and by providing innovative & luxurious fragrances, education and sharing our Middle Eastern fragrance rituals with the world.

Summary

KAYALI is looking for a technically strong and commercially minded Assistant Manager, Packaging Development to lead the downstream packaging development and industrialization across our global manufacturing footprint. This role ensures packaging designs are technically feasible, cost-optimized, sustainable, and production-ready. It acts as the bridge between Packaging Design, Product Development, Procurement, Quality, and Manufacturing to enable seamless execution from locked-in packaging design through mass production. The position supports NPD launches, supplier qualification, cost optimization, sustainability initiatives, value engineering, continuous improvement and change management across global operations.

Responsibilities

• Packaging Engineering & Development - Lead downstream technical development of primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging; translate creative design intent into manufacturable and scalable technical solutions; develop and validate packaging technical specifications for components and fill & assembly specifications with supplier/CMO support; lead technical discussions with suppliers; own mould development and approval of technical specifications, drawings, die lines, MSDS and packaging master data; define and validate packaging BOMs; act as main contact for artwork management with suppliers and participate in artwork approval process; use and maintain defined packaging testing methodologies and development protocols; conduct packaging validation testing during homologation and industrialization; lead internal approvals (BAT, PPS and range boards) with stakeholders and suppliers; lead packaging line trials and industrialization at CMOs and filling sites; support internal approval of line trial finished goods from a packaging perspective.
• Manufacturing & Supplier Management - Partner with Procurement in supplier selection, provide technical assessments on pre-selected suppliers; build and maintain strong relationships with packaging suppliers and CMOs; identify and mitigate supply and quality risks within packaging materials; manage engineering changes, phase-ins, and phase-outs.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration & NPD Support - Partner with Product Development, Packaging Design and Marketing to align technical feasibility with brand requirements; support new product launches ensuring packaging readiness against critical path timelines; collaborate with Regulatory for compliance and reporting; partner with Quality on packaging-related investigations and non-conformities; ensure packaging sustainability strategy is translated into day-to-day projects.
• Continuous Improvement & Change Management - Assess, test and validate packaging changes affecting homologation and industrialization; suggest improvements to documentation standards, testing methodologies and governance; stay current on trends in cosmetics packaging, materials, decoration technologies, and sustainability; ensure master data and BOMs are up to date; support cost engineering and value engineering initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Packaging Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related field
• 3-5 years of experience in Packaging Engineering, preferably within beauty, fragrance, or FMCG
• Strong knowledge of packaging materials (glass, plastics, paperboard, aluminium) and packaging decoration techniques
• Hands-on experience with tooling, mould development, packaging testing and validation
• Proficiency in CAD software
• Strong understanding of global manufacturing environments and supplier management
• Experience working across international supply chains preferred
• Analytical, detail-oriented, and solution-driven mindset
• Strong cross-functional communication skills

Preferred Skills

• Experience with sustainability frameworks and lifecycle analysis
• Experience with packaging development ERP or similar software
• Knowledge of cosmetics packaging standards and development testing protocols
• Experience managing complex BOM structures in ERP systems
• Familiarity with luxury packaging standards and aesthetic finishing techniques

Benefits

• Premium Medical/Dental/Vision coverage
• Find your Magic Days
• Volunteer Day
• Birthday Leave
• Egg Freezing
• Benefits: Employee discounts on all Kayali products; Quarterly product gifting

Kayali is committed to building diverse and inclusive teams and upholding an equal employment workplace free from discrimination. We hire stellar individuals regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, gender identity, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, medical conditions, disability, or veteran status. If you need reasonable accommodations at any point in the application or interview process, please let us know.