Job Title:  Sr. Packaging Materials Scientist

No Relocation Assistance Offered
# 162004 - Piscataway, New Jersey, United States

Who We Are
Colgate-Palmolive Company is a caring, innovative growth company that is reimagining a healthier future for all people, their pets and our planet. Focused on Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care and Pet Nutrition, we sell our products in more than 200 countries and territories under brands such as Colgate, Palmolive, elmex, hello, meridol, Sorriso, Tom’s of Maine, EltaMD, Filorga, Irish Spring, PCA SKIN, Protex, Sanex, Softsoap, Speed Stick, Ajax, Axion, Fabuloso, Soupline and Suavitel, as well as Hill’s Pet Nutrition.

We are recognized for our leadership and innovation in promoting sustainability and community wellbeing, including our achievements in decreasing plastic waste and promoting recyclability, saving water, conserving natural resources and improving children’s oral health.

If you want to work for a company that lives by their values, then give your career a reason to smile and join our global team!
 

Job Summary 

The Packaging Innovation team at Colgate Palmolive is the scientific authority for packaging materials development and  packaging sustainability R&D at Colgate Palmolive.  The Materials Development  team is responsible for making the packaging materials strategies, their development, evaluation/screening, recommendation and qualification,  with a focus on the sustainable packaging materials, as well as the commercialization of new packaging technologies. We are looking for a polymer scientist experienced in materials development and excited about developing sustainable alternatives to conventional plastics and packaging. In this role you will be responsible for working with industry innovators to evaluate and develop new packaging materials for use with Colgate Palmolive products. 

Core Responsibilities 

• Responsible for building a pipeline of innovation in packaging sustainability,  new innovations, and sustainability initiatives within defined scope. The new materials pipeline is focused on materials that have a smaller impact on the environment and end-of-life solutions that enable circularity.

• Engage with external organizations to build a broader understanding of packaging trends and definitions related to sustainability, composting, biodegradation and natural polymers. 

• Partner with Global Procurement, Supply Chain, and Divisional Packaging Leadership to define plans to meet Colgate’s Sustainability Targets for 2025 and beyond.

• Develop packaging material solutions to ensure all current and future packaging meets Colgate’s sustainability targets for reduced plastic, recyclable packaging, maximize use of recycled material and free of problematic materials. 

• Partner with Global R&D, Quality and Engineering to perform the root cause analysis on packaging related performance issues and recommend the appropriate solutions.

Key Competencies

• Expertise in material and polymer science 

• Knowledgeable with a wide variety of package technologies, including packaging making processes, packaging qualification, packaging quality control, etc., with a specific focus on non plastic packaging materials. 

• Self-motivation and a proactive worker, working independently and efficiently in the lab for material development and evaluation.

• Critical thinking and problem solving skills, producing and using supportive data to draw conclusions and make recommendations. 

• Deep understanding of the structure and performance relationship of the materials with hands-on experience on material characterization and advanced instruments, including AFM, XPS, SEM, DSC, GC/MS, Spectroscopies, Reology, OTR, MVTR, etc.

• Ability to communicate across the organization, including succinctly communicating technical details to non technical business partners and those professionals who do not have the packaging background.

• Business acumen: Understands trends, technology and information impacting the business and organization; knows how the business and competition works.

• Integrity and values: Promotes inclusive behavior that cultivates high morale and a strong team culture. 

Experience & Education: 

• Required: a Ph.D. degree in polymer science, material science, chemical engineering or the similar areas with 2+ years industry experience ; or a master/bachelor degree in science/engineering with 8+ years industry experience

• Preferred experience in innovations of the sustainable packaging materials

• Experience in non plastic packaging materials and processes (fiber, metal, glass, etc.)

Compensation and Benefits
Salary Range $103,000.00 - $130,000.00 USD

Pay is based on multiple non-discriminatory, individualized factors including but not limited to experience, job-related knowledge and education, skills and office/market location. In addition to base salary, salaried employees are eligible for annual discretionary bonuses, profit-sharing and, for Executive-level (salary grade 16 and above) roles only, long-term incentives in the form of Restricted Stock Units and/or Stock Options.

Subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable benefits plans then in effect, all salaried employees are also eligible for a competitive benefits package which includes:

• Insurance: Employees (and their eligible dependents) are eligible to participate in Company-sponsored Medical, Dental, Vision, Basic Life Insurance, Accidental Death & Dismemberment and Disability insurance plans.
• Retirement Plans: Employees are eligible to enroll in Colgate's 401(k) plan, which provides for company matching contributions subject to eligibility requirements
• Vacation/PTO: Employees receive a minimum of 15 days of vacation/PTO leave annually
• Paid Holidays: Employees receive a minimum of 13 paid/floating holidays annually
• Paid Sick Leave: Based on location and consistent with applicable state and local law, employees receive a minimum of 40 hours of paid sick leave on January 1st of each year
• Paid Parental Leave: Eligible employees may take up to eight weeks of paid parental leave and 12 weeks of unpaid leave (varies for employees with fewer than 12 months of service and is subject to hours worked requirements)

Our Commitment to Sustainability
With the Colgate brand in more homes than any other, we are presented with great opportunities and new challenges as we work to integrate sustainability into all aspects of our business and create positive social impact. We are determined to position ourselves for further growth as we act on our 2025 Sustainability & Social Impact Strategy.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Achieving our purpose starts with our people — ensuring our workforce represents the people and communities we serve —and creating an environment where our people feel they belong; where we can be our authentic selves, feel treated with respect and have the support of leadership to impact the business in a meaningful way.

Equal Opportunity Employer
Colgate is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, marital status, veteran status (United States positions), or any other characteristic protected by law.

Reasonable accommodation during the application process is available for persons with disabilities. Please contact Application_Accommodation@colpal.com with the subject "Accommodation Request" should you require accommodation.

For additional Colgate terms and conditions, please click here.

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