Packaging Director, Food & Beverage

Danone North America is a leading food and beverage company known for its commitment to health, sustainability, and innovation. With approximately 5,000 employees and 13 production locations across the United States, Danone offers a vibrant and inclusive workplace culture that fosters growth opportunities and collaboration. The company is home to some of the most recognized brands in the industry, including Activia®, DanActive®, Danimals®, Dannon®, evian®, Follow Your Heart®, Happy Family® Organics, International Delight®, Light + Fit®, Nutricia®, Oikos®, Silk®, So Delicious® Dairy Free, STŌK® Cold Brew Coffee, Too Good & Co™, and YoCrunch®. As the world’s largest B Corp, Danone is deeply committed to making a positive impact on the world through its mission to bring health through food to as many people as possible.

The role of Research & Innovation Director of Food/Beverage Packaging is a pivotal leadership position within Danone North America. This position co-leads the vision, strategy, and execution of consumer-centric, future-forward packaging in partnership with the VP of Packaging. The Director’s primary focus is to drive business growth, enhance competitiveness, and advance sustainability and productivity goals through innovative packaging solutions. This role elevates packaging as a strategic lever that drives superior consumer experiences, unlocks innovation opportunities, improves shelf performance, and shapes the next generation of materials and technologies.

The Director will bring deep technical expertise, strong design-to-scale capabilities, and the ability to influence cross-functionally across the enterprise. As the primary contact for the General Manager of the Food/Beverage business, the Director will collaborate with multiple stakeholders internally and externally to deliver packaging that is safe, efficient, aesthetically delightful, and circular. They will lead and inspire a high-performing team focused on packaging excellence across the U.S. and global networks. This role offers an exciting opportunity to shape strategic growth, sustainability initiatives, and business delivery models through innovative packaging leadership.

The salary range for this position is $146,000 to $210,000 USD, depending on experience, location, and market conditions. Danone North America also offers a performance-based bonus and a comprehensive benefits package including Medical, Dental, Vision, Prescription Drug Coverage, 401k Plan, Wellness Program, Life Insurance, Tuition Reimbursement, Flexible Time Off, and Paid Parental Bonding Leave, along with a hybrid work environment that supports employee flexibility.

Ideal candidates are transformational packaging leaders with extensive experience in end-to-end packaging leadership, combining technical mastery in materials science, design, and sustainability with strategic enterprise capabilities. This role requires a proven track record of delivering packaging innovations that consistently improve consumer engagement and business performance. Candidates should have demonstrated leadership managing complex cross-functional teams and the ability to translate business priorities into actionable innovation and sustainability roadmaps. Strategic vision, technical curiosity, strong problem-solving skills, and excellent communication abilities are essential to succeed in this highly visible and impactful leadership role within Danone North America.