Sr. Engineer, Packaging
Mars · Franklin, TN
- Level
- Senior
- Team
- Manufacturing
- Travel
- 30%
- Degree
- Required (or equivalent experience)
- Experience asked
- 7+ years
- Industry
- Food & beverage
- Posted
- 9 days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A senior manufacturing role at Mars (food & beverage) in Franklin, TN.
- They ask for
- 7+ years · degree required (or equivalent experience)
- Day to day
- about 30% travel
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026
Manufacturing Engineer roles in Tennessee: typical posted base $89k–$149k.
Median of the low and high ends of 6 live postings that list pay, out of 43 manufacturing engineer openings in Tennessee, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Tennessee plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 42 other live manufacturing postings in Tennessee.
- Base pay
- Not listed in this posting
- Experience asked
- More than usual (7+ vs 5+)
Typical $89k–$149k, from 6 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- Lean 60%
- Tooling 49%
- New product launch 47%
- Six Sigma 42%
- Automation 40%
- Cost reduction 35%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
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 Manufacturing team at Mars
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 the work mostly new product launches or sustaining existing lines?
- How much time do you spend on the floor versus at a desk?
- The posting says about 30% travel. Between which sites?
- 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 MarsAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Requirements
- ✓Bachelor’s Degree in Packaging, Engineering, Chemistry, Food Science, a related technical field or equivalent
- ✓5-7+ years’ experience working on packaging projects and technology development
- ✓Demonstrated experience with packaging designs
- ✓Strong understanding of machinery and scale-up risks
- ✓Willingness to travel up to 30%
Preferred Qualifications
- ✓Advanced Degree in Packaging, Engineering, Chemistry, Food Science, or a related technical field
What will be your key responsibilities?
- ✓Technical Leadership: Lead and manage high-impact, complex packaging development projects spanning across major portfolios
- ✓Advanced Specifications: Develop complex specifications for multi-site and cross-functional projects, ensuring packaging robustness across the entire value chain
- ✓Innovation & Scale-Up: Translate technology from virtual/working proof-of-principle models to full-scale working machinery in partnership with third-party builders and global teams
- ✓Risk & Opportunity Management: Proactively identify, assess, and mitigate risks of regional or site-level impact. Cascade coaching on risk management tools to junior associates
- ✓Associate Development: Mentor, coach, and support the technical development of junior Packaging Engineers and Technologists within the team
What can you expect from Mars?
- ✓Work with diverse and talented Associates, all guided by the Five Principles.
- ✓Join a purpose driven company, where we’re striving to build the world we want tomorrow, today.
- ✓Best-in-class learning and development support from day one, including access to our in-house Mars University.
- ✓An industry competitive salary and benefits package, including company bonus.
Mars does not sponsor visas for this role.
This position is not eligible for relocation benefits.
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Job Description
The Senior Packaging Engineer leads the development and deployment of innovation, sustainability, and productivity initiatives across Mars Petcare North America’s packaging portfolio. Operating in a pet-friendly, collaborative environment, this role provides cross-functional leadership to support existing products, drive new package development, and standardize processes across pilot and full-scale manufacturing sites.
Success in this role requires connecting innovative workstreams with high-quality, consistent manufacturing outcomes to deliver packaging solutions that meet evolving pet parent needs. The Senior Packaging Engineer is responsible for leading large, business-critical projects with regional or brand-wide impact, ensuring alignment from concept through commercialization.
This role provides strong technical expertise and strategic insight, while owning the management and implementation of key packaging processes, standards, and continuous improvement initiatives. The Senior Packaging Engineer plays a critical role in driving operational excellence, influencing stakeholders, and advancing scalable, sustainable packaging solutions across the portfolio.
What are we looking for?