• With our new RCL purpose of “We Grow What Matters” the key purpose of this role is to elevate the pivotal role that packaging plays specifically within our Milling & Baking and Pies Food business. More specifically, this role is responsible for the delivery of the R&D Packaging program and ensure execution of Milling & Baking and Pies Food Innovation and Renovation program for both the retail and QSR business. Develop and implement roadmaps on Responsible Packaging as a key part of waste reduction in the RCL Sustainability Strategy. Identification and execution of saving projects delivering to the Value Engineering Program. Execute the resilience program on alternative packaging materials in partnership with the Sourcing and Procurement functions. Provide support to Supply Chain within the business units ensuring high quality packaging design and execution e.g. quality and/or factory efficiency projects.
• This role carries the responsibility of business partner to the Business units providing operational stewardship to deliver to the business agenda. This role has operational responsibility in the Business Unit and within the Packaging Forum. This requires working collaboratively within R&D and cross functionally with Marketing, Customer Development, Consumer Insight, Supply Chain including Quality, Sourcing, Commercial and with Business Unit teams. Externally, the role has a significant business partnering requirement with packaging suppliers.

Minimum Requirements

• BSc or Diploma in Sciences.
• Packaging Diploma and NQF 5 in Project Management.
• A minimum of 3 years’ experience within R&D.
• Working knowledge of MS Office – Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.
• Proven track record within the Packaging Industry.

Duties & Responsibilities
Deliver the Milling & Baking Packaging Innovation and Technology Program:

• Working in collaboration with Marketing, Consumer insight and customer teams as well as the group R&D team, deliver the Milling and Pies Food Packaging program.
• Build strategic partnerships with relevant packaging suppliers, academia government and innovation agencies to input into the R&D packaging technology program.
• Be a subject matter expert on category specific packaging materials, formats, equipment and processes. This includes Milling, Baking formats and technologies.
• Strong business acumen.
• Operationally astute.
• Systems thinker.
• Entrepreneurial mindset is key (proactive, calculated risk propensity and innovative).
• Packaging agenda custodian in the business.
• Sound modelling systems knowledge within packaging such as Cape Pack.
• Design for recycling principles implementation per need.
• Ability to engage externally and drive the business agenda.
• Ability to take decisions under uncertainty, think out of the box and drive performance culture whilst ensuring rigour in process.
• Ability to multitask and delegate and manage under pressure.
• Strong stakeholder management and people development skills.
• An understanding of multiple business key performance indicators, inter-relationship and bottom-line sensitivity.
• Commercially astute with very good understanding of business cases.
• Analytical skills and attention to detail.

Innovation Delivery: Short, Medium and Long Term:

• Deliver the key valuable Innovation and Renovation program for Milling & Baking in partnership with Marketing and Customer teams.
• Collaborate with OUs to deliver best in class packaging practices.
• Bias for action and deliver packaging workstreams of projects on time and in full.

Delivery the R&D Packaging Value Engineering Program (VEP):

• Leads the Identifying and implementation of cost reduction opportunities within Packaging based on the outcome of a spend analysis by key packaging type/technology for Milling & Baking.
• Develops and implements innovative packaging strategies and programs that result in continuous cost/price reductions in partnership with Sourcing and SC.
• Execute the resilience program as articulated in partnership with Sourcing and Procurement.
• Update and report on the Best-in-Class program at the Business Units.