Vice President, Packaging Operations Excellence, Stretch and Upstream Innovation

Estée Lauder Companies · New York

Level: Director+
Team: Lean / CI
Base pay: $286k–$486k
Degree: Required
Experience asked: 15+ years
Industry: Industrial
Posted: 30+ days ago

The role in 30 seconds

A director-level continuous improvement role at Estée Lauder Companies (industrial) in New York. Is one of the world’s leading manufacturers, marketers, and sellers of quality skin care, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products, and is a steward of luxury and prestige brands globally.

They ask for: 15+ years · degree required
Base pay: $286k–$486k

Read from the posting. The full description is below.

From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026

Continuous Improvement roles in New York: typical posted base $112k–$154k. This one lists $286k–$486k.

Median of the low and high ends of 8 live postings that list pay, out of 14 continuous improvement openings in New York, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.

New York plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →

How this role compares

Against 13 other live lean / ci postings in New York.

Base pay: About 198% above similar roles
Experience asked: More than usual (15+ vs 7+)

Skills these teams ask for most

Lean 93%
Six Sigma 79%
Value stream mapping 57%
Kaizen 57%
Root cause 50%
Black Belt 43%

✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.

It asks for 15+ years. If you're close, apply anyway: requirements are a wish list. Talk to someone doing this work there first.

At a glance

Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.

How to get in at this plant

Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.

1
Pick 2–3 people on the Lean / CI team at Estée Lauder Companies
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.
2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Is CI run from the plant floor or from a corporate OpEx group?
- Which metrics does leadership actually watch: OEE, scrap, cost per unit?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.

Full description from Estée Lauder CompaniesAs posted on their careers site.Show

Key Responsibilities

Leads Corporate Packaging Operations Supporting Best in Class NPL Across Brands and Categories

◆Leads Packaging Testing operations supporting Brands and Categories NPL across the global footprint (US, EU, Asia dotted line); includes the establishment of testing methodologies and practices supporting early risk discovery and management and lead the development of new methods.
◆Leads technical design, modelling and simulation, developing the capability to support best in class “art to science” in the NPL process while enhancing predictive modelling.
◆Establishes & leads ELC Packaging Center Of Excellence Hub (NYC), establish the EU Operating Excellence eco-system, & design and implement the operating excellence operating model through global operations.
◆Leads Supplier technical excellence in partnership with GSM and VRO, auditing technical competencies of new partners where necessary & leading competency improvement plans where necessary.
◆Manages and governs Packaging Operations Excellence group operating budget, ensuring sufficiency & day to day governance.

Lead Platforming Strategy and Best in Class Practices in Action

◆Establishes a packaging Platforms strategy for global Packaging & ensure plans are in place to lead & execute with excellence through the Category Platform teams.
◆Ensure the operating eco-system is fit for purpose to enable the company priority Platform agenda.

Ignite and Lead Global Packaging Stretch and Disruptive Innovation Pipeline Serving ELC Global Businesses

◆Explore & establish a high-performing external innovation eco-system & technology partnerships enabling ELC strategic innovation and growth agenda. Involving the negotiation of partnerships & piloting with clear success criteria, governed via a strict collaboration rhythm & performance expectations.
◆Lead technology discovery big bets serving ELC biggest growth opportunity spaces, in coordination with R&D and GSM.
◆Lead Material Science innovation unlocking key material challenges & leading the discovery of novel sustainable material solutions serving ELC global Packaging agenda.
◆Own Packaging IP strategy, involving the development of internal & external capability to create, capture, & protect IP.
◆Connect-in the APAC innovation eco-system via Shanghai Packaging team \

Leads Packaging Work Processes Excellence, Simplification, Digitalization and Standardization

◆Owns & drives continuous improvement of Packaging Work Processes serving global Packaging operations in partnership with Category VPs, ensuring delivery with excellence, initiative speed and simplification for all eco-system actors.
◆Coordinates Packaging L&D programs, building shared ways of working and leading the increase of technical & operational competency across Packaging operations.
◆Leads Packaging Digital strategy, PLM design, integration and Digital transformation, including accelerated AI impact. Orchestrates and sponsors the systems roadmap, ensuring appropriate resourcing and change management. Deploy AI/ML use cases to improve reliability and performance; leading experimentation-to-scale.

Lead New Brand Empowerment Packaging integration work

◆Lead & direct packaging assets integration as needed by integration level

requirements

and destination brand operating model

✓Support capability builds where needed in the context of chosen destination brand operating model

Supports the Global Packaging SVP with Portfolio Activity Management and Efficiency Tracking

Qualifications

✓Education/Certification: Minimum BS degree in Mechanical, Chemical or Materials Engineering, Packaging Science or technical degree and related experience.
✓Masters in business, business management, engineering management or a related field a plus. IOPP certification a plus.
✓Direct Experience: 15+ years of experience in cosmetic and/or CPG package development, which could include personal, hair or skin care, home care, consumer health care, food & beverage, etc. Prestige beauty industry experience a plus.

Show full description ↓

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. is one of the world’s leading manufacturers, marketers, and sellers of quality skin care, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products, and is a steward of luxury and prestige brands globally. The company’s products are sold in approximately 150 countries and territories under brand names including: Estée Lauder, Aramis, Clinique, Lab Series, Origins, M·A·C, La Mer, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Aveda, Jo Malone London, Bumble and bumble, Darphin Paris, TOM FORD, Smashbox, AERIN Beauty, Le Labo, Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, GLAMGLOW, KILIAN PARIS, Too Faced, Dr.Jart+, the DECIEM family of brands, including The Ordinary and NIOD, and BALMAIN Beauty.

The VP of Packaging Operations Excellence, Stretch and Upstream Innovation at The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) will play a critical role within the Global ELC Packaging Leadership Team, accelerating the vision to transform Packaging into a highly competitive asset for ELC. This new role will establish and lead central/corporate competitive capabilities. The goal is to transform the Packaging organization’s ability to accelerate & scale NPL impact across categories and regions. The role will also accelerate the design & execution of competitive packaging platforms and ignite a high-value innovation pipeline that elevates packaging innovation at ELC.

The ideal candidate is a seasoned Global Packaging leader with deep expertise in all the roles Packaging plays in a Beauty CPG company. This leader will have led complex packaging operations, delivering NPL portfolios across categories, breakthrough innovation pipelines, developed sustainable innovation & will have a proven ability to transform organizations through systems transformation, capability building, & technology entrepreneurship.This role reports to the Global SVP of Packaging.

Critical Competencies

•Packaging work process excellence: deep expertise in end-to-end pack