Senior Packaging Engineer at Adept Packaging in Chattanooga, TN

Adept Group offers an award-winning workplace for exceptional packaging industry talent. We work on a range of innovative projects for iconic brand owners. Our technically gifted team collaborates to produce unparalleled results.

We offer a great place to showcase your expertise and build upon your skillset. All while having fun with amazing people from a variety of diverse backgrounds. We’re driven, inspirational and most importantly, human.

We offer a flexible, creative culture focusing on 3 pillars - our environment, our communities, and our health and well-being. Join a team committed to building a sustainable future!

The Opportunity

Adept Group is seeking a Packaging Engineer (1099 Contractor) in the Chattanooga, TN area! The ideal candidate would have 5+ years of experience in R&D at B2C or B2B, preferably in the Life Science industry but open to personal care, beauty, food, or chemical industries.

This is a 1099 Contractor (Independent Contractor) opportunity for 40-hours per week for 12 months.

This project requires this person to work 2 days onsite.

*Relocation assistance available for eligible candidates*

Key Responsibilities:

• Drive packaging development for innovation projects across North America, accelerating timelines while ensuring high-quality execution.
• Provide versatile, hands-on support across a range of packaging materials and formats, with a focus on consumer healthcare products (e.g., OTC, vitamins, easy-open/easy-close solutions).
• Operate with a sense of urgency to support a high-volume workload and fast-paced development environment.
• Bring a well-rounded “jack-of-all-trades” approach, balancing innovation with practical, scalable solutions aligned to industry timelines.

Typical Day to Day:

• Partner cross-functionally with R&D, Brand, and eCommerce teams to develop new packaging structures for product portfolios.
• Lead and support activities including sourcing, design, testing, specification development, and packaging trials.
• Collaborate closely with formulation teams, plant engineers, suppliers, and external manufacturers to ensure seamless execution from concept through commercialization.
• Incorporate consumer insights and marketing inputs to develop packaging for new product launches and updates to existing products.
• Balance innovation-focused work with hands-on involvement in line trials, operational support, and troubleshooting to ensure manufacturability and performance.

Requirements:

• 5-10 years' experience in R&D at B2C or B2B
• Technical background in primary packaging development and design, specification, testing, tooling/molding process, and materials/manufacturing qualification
• Packaging focused on user experience
• Secondary packaging experience a plus!

**Disclaimer:**This is a 1099 independent contractor position. As such, this role is not eligible for company-sponsored benefits, including health insurance, paid time off, or retirement plans. The contractor is responsible for managing their own tax withholdings, insurance coverage, and other obligations associated with independent contractor status.

Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.