No.4 Design Company Limited
Packaging Innovation & Engineering Manager
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About The Role
At Tropic, we're passionate about creating products that are as beautiful to use as they are effective. Packaging plays a vital role in that experience, and we're looking for an exceptional Packaging Innovation & Engineering Manager to help us develop the next generation of packaging for our growing beauty portfolio.
This is not a traditional packaging development or project management role. We're looking for someone who loves understanding how things work, someone who can take an idea from concept through engineering, rapid prototyping, testing and manufacture, creating packaging that is both technically outstanding and beautifully designed.
Working across skincare, makeup, body care, haircare, fragrance and future product categories, you'll combine engineering expertise with creativity and sustainability to develop packaging that feels uniquely Tropic. You'll work closely with Product Innovation, Design, Packaging, Procurement and manufacturing partners to bring proprietary packaging concepts to life.
Our ambition is to create packaging that feels uniquely Tropic, moving beyond off-the-shelf supplier components to develop proprietary packaging solutions that create a distinctive consumer experience and competitive advantage.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the engineering and development of innovative primary packaging, taking concepts from initial design through to manufacture.
- Create and modify 3D CAD models and technical drawings for packaging components, mechanisms and assemblies.
- Engineer packaging solutions including bottles, jars, caps, pumps, airless systems, refill mechanisms, compacts, applicators and dispensing systems, considering tolerances, wall thicknesses, sealing, torque, snap fits, hinges, threads, dispensing performance and component interaction.
- Design components with Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DFMA) principles, ensuring concepts can be manufactured efficiently, reliably and at scale.
- Produce rapid prototypes using 3D printing and other prototyping methods, evaluating functionality and refining designs through iterative testing.
- Build Tropic's internal packaging prototyping capability, developing efficient processes for rapid concept validation.
- Consider how geometry, weight, materials, surface finishes, actuation force, sound and movement influence the consumer experience, ensuring packaging feels intuitive, premium and satisfying to use.
- Work closely with the Creative Design team to ensure packaging delivers both exceptional engineering performance and a premium consumer experience.
- Develop expertise across packaging materials including PP, PE, PET, PETG, recycled polymers, elastomers, aluminium, glass, paper and emerging sustainable materials, making evidence-based material selection decisions that balance performance, manufacturability, aesthetics and environmental impact.
- Collaborate directly with packaging manufacturers, toolmakers and suppliers, reviewing CAD, tooling proposals, tolerances, material specifications and production samples.
- Challenge suppliers to develop better engineering solutions rather than simply adapting existing components or catalogue products.
- Apply knowledge of manufacturing processes including injection moulding, extrusion and blow moulding, glass manufacture, metal forming, tooling, decoration, finishing and assembly to ensure packaging concepts can be successfully manufactured at scale.
- Develop and execute robust packaging testing programmes, including leak testing, drop testing, torque testing, repeated actuation/lifecycle testing, dispensing performance, dimensional analysis, compatibility testing and consumer usability assessments.
- Investigate technical failures, identify root causes and implement engineering improvements through iterative testing and validation.
- Drive packaging sustainability initiatives, identifying opportunities to reduce environmental impact through lightweighting, refill systems, mono-material construction, design for disassembly, reduced component counts, recycled materials and improved recyclability, ensuring sustainability, functionality and desirability reinforce one another rather than compete.
- Establish engineering standards, testing methodologies and best practices to support future packaging development across the business.
- Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders across Product Innovation, Design, Sustainability, Procurement and Manufacturing to ensure successful product delivery.
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What We're Looking For
We're looking for someone who is fundamentally a maker and problem solver, someone who enjoys turning ideas into beautifully engineered products. You'll combine technical expertise with creativity, curiosity and a genuine passion for developing packaging that delivers an exceptional consumer experience.
You'll Bring
- 5–10 years' experience within packaging engineering, mechanical engineering, product design engineering or industrial design engineering.
- Proven experience developing physical consumer products from concept through to manufacture.
- Advanced proficiency using professional 3D CAD software such as SolidWorks, Creo, Fusion 360, CATIA or similar.
- Experience creating CAD models that have progressed into commercial production.
- Hands-on experience with rapid prototyping techniques, including 3D printing.
- Strong understanding of manufacturing processes including injection moulding, extrusion and blow moulding, glass manufacturing, metal forming, tooling and assembly.
- Excellent knowledge of packaging materials including polymers, glass, metals and sustainable alternatives.
- Experience working directly with packaging manufacturers, tooling partners and engineering suppliers.
- Strong understanding of engineering tolerances, manufacturing constraints and Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DFMA).
- Experience developing robust packaging testing methodologies and evaluating product performance.
- A commercial understanding of balancing innovation, quality, sustainability, cost and manufacturability.
- A passion for understanding how products work, testing ideas, solving engineering problems and continuously improving designs through iteration.
- A strong aesthetic eye, with an appreciation for how packaging feels, functions and enhances the customer experience.
- Excellent collaboration and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to work effectively across multiple teams.
Desirable
- Experience within beauty, cosmetics, fragrance, personal care or another premium consumer goods industry.
- Experience developing primary beauty packaging, including pumps, airless systems, refill systems, applicators or dispensing mechanisms.
- Experience driving packaging sustainability initiatives and lifecycle thinking.
- Knowledge of emerging packaging technologies and materials.
- Experience establishing engineering standards, testing protocols or innovation processes.
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What Success Looks Like
Within your first year, we'd love you to have:
- Established a rapid CAD-to-prototype capability within Tropic.
- Improved the engineering quality and functionality of packaging currently under development.
- Built strong technical relationships with our key packaging manufacturers.
- Created clear engineering and testing standards for new packaging.
- Identified opportunities to improve existing Tropic packaging through better materials, mechanisms and manufacturing processes.
- Started developing genuinely Tropic-owned packaging innovations that give our products a distinctive consumer experience and competitive advantage.
What We Offer
Employment Type: This role is offered full-time, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
Location: Tropic HQ is a short walk from Beddington Lane Tram stop, with direct links to East Croydon and Wimbledon.
Hybrid Working: Enjoy a blend of office and remote working with a minimum of 3 days in the office.
Salary: Starting from £65,000
Benefits: Hybrid working, up to 33 days’ holiday. Enhanced family leave, Private Medical Insurance, Medicash plan, life insurance, (All available after a qualifying period). EAP through the Wisdom App, generous product allowance and 50% discount for family and friends, access to retailer discounts, Cycle to Work and Electric Car schemes, free breakfast bar, dog-friendly HQ with a chill zone and pool table, on-site parking, regular social events, and plenty of well-being treats throughout the year.
Start Date: Immediate
About Tropic
Susie, our Founder and CEO, started Tropic Skincare as a teenager, selling homemade body scrubs at Greenwich Market to help her mum pay the bills. She sold out on her first day, and the incredible response made her realise she had started something quite special.
We still sell that iconic body scrub, and it sits alongside an extensive range of award-winning skincare and beauty products that have made us one of the UK’s fastest-growing beauty businesses. Our brand is certified vegan, cruelty-free and CarbonNeutral®, and our infinite purpose is to create a healthier, greener, more empowered world. And that’s where you come in!
We’re looking for creative and ambitious people who share our vision and get excited about beauty that’s both innovative and sustainable. If you’re passionate about skincare and have a genuine desire to empower communities across the globe, you could be a great fit.
Apply now if you’re ready to join a vibrant team who believes beauty knows no bounds!
Tropic's Commitment to Equal Opportunities
Our team is as diverse as it is talented because at Tropic, we go the extra mile to cultivate a culture of respect and belonging. We value every candidate, respect protected characteristics and never discriminate. We also provide reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities at every stage of the hiring process, so if this is something you need, please let our recruitment team know at the earliest opportunity!
Ultimately, the most important thing for us is hiring the best person for the job, so we focus on skills, experience, and qualifications to ensure our process is fair and that our candidates always have a great experience with Tropic.
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