Sr Engineer Mechanical at The Hershey Company in Virginia

Why Hershey:

At The Hershey Company, our culture is rooted in purpose and inspired by Milton Hershey’s enduring vision that business should create opportunity for others. Through our commitment to corporate philanthropy, we create positive impact by supporting communities, helping children thrive, and operating as a business for good. This includes our deep and long standing partnership with Milton Hershey School, where we invest in education, workforce readiness, and hands on engagement to help students succeed beyond the classroom. Supported by strategic grantmaking, product donations, cross brand collaboration, and strong employee volunteerism, Hershey offers a place to work where making a difference—locally and globally—is part of how we do business every day.

How will you fit in the big picture?

The Sr Packaging Engineer is a key member of the Stuarts Draft Engineering team, providing primary packaging engineering support for the site. Working independently, this role designs, develops, and optimizes packaging solutions and equipment to protect product quality, improve performance, and support sustainability. You will partner across Operations, Quality, R&D, Procurement, and external suppliers to introduce new products and packaging, strengthen equipment reliability, and deliver capital projects in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

What will you do?

• Design and optimize packaging solutions, materials, components, and equipment for product protection, manufacturability, performance, cost, and sustainability.
• Lead packaging and processing capital projects from technical analysis and scope development through specification, installation, startup, training, and documentation.
• Verify existing equipment capability for new products and packaging; recommend and implement changes that reduce waste and changeover time while improving reliability, availability, and flexibility.
• Apply knowledge of primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging systems, including high-speed flow wrapping, cartoning, vertical form-fill-seal bagging, case packing, and palletizing.
• Develop and maintain packaging specifications, technical records, cost estimates, feasibility assessments, schedules, and recommendations.
• Collaborate with manufacturing partners, OEMs, and vendors to solve moderate-to-complex technical challenges and share best practices across teams.
• Support hygienic design, Good Manufacturing Practices, safety, quality, and applicable engineering standards throughout project execution.

Minimum Requirements

Education: Bachelor of Science in Mechanical, Electrical, Mechatronics, Packaging, Engineering Technology, or a related engineering discipline.

Experience: 3+ years of relevant packaging, process, facilities/utilities, or manufacturing engineering experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in food, pharmaceutical, consumer products, or another high-speed manufacturing environment.
• Knowledge of packaging equipment, machine design, packaging materials, controls/automation, and technical documentation.
• Proficiency with AutoCAD; familiarity with SAP is preferred.
• Strong project leadership, problem-solving, communication, vendor management, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment, with domestic and international travel as needed to support assigned projects.

Benefits and Perks

At Hershey, we offer competitive pay and a comprehensive total rewards package designed to support your wellbeing, financial security, and life outside of work.

• Health & Wellbeing: Medical, dental, and vision coverage, plus wellness programs that support your physical and mental health begin on Day 1.
• Financial Security: Competitive pay, annual incentive opportunities, and a 401(k) with company match
• Time Off & Flexibility: Paid time off, company holidays, and flexible ways of working where applicable
• Growth & Development: Career development programs, learning opportunities, and internal mobility

Benefits may vary based on role, location, and eligibility.

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Job Overview

Working independently this role focuses on the design, development, and optimization of packaging solutions that ensure product protection, functionality, and sustainability. The position involves managing tactical plans aligned with short-term business objectives and addressing moderate to complex challenges that impact multiple teams within the division. The role requires advanced expertise in executing processes and projects related to packaging, including material selection, structural design, and compliance with industry standards and within strategic guidelines. This role requires significant cross-functional collaboration, and has increased ownership and scope acting as primary packaging support for single plant, brand or category. This role collaborates with peers to improve ways of working and share bdp's.

Accountabilities

1. Design Packaging Solutions The role designs, develops, and optimizes packaging solutions ensuring product protection, performance, and sustainability. It applies engineering knowledge to meet requirements. This delivers quality packaging.
2. Select and Qualify Materials The role selects and qualifies packaging materials and components based on product requirements and cost. It evaluates environmental impact and manufacturing capabilities. This ensures optimal selections.
3. Apply Manufacturing Knowledge The role applies strong manufacturing and equipment knowledge to ensure packaging meets production requirements. It validates designs for manufacturability. This enables efficient production.
4. Support Product Development The role supports product development through packaging engineering expertise. It contributes to specifications and testing. This advances development progress.
5. Document Technical Work The role documents technical work and maintains packaging specifications. It ensures records are accurate and accessible. This supports knowledge management.

Minimum Education & Requirements

3+ years

The anticipated base salary range for this role is $92,160 to $115,200 per year. The actual base salary offered will depend on a variety of job‑related factors, including, but not limited to, experience, skill set, education, and training. In addition to a market-competitive base salary, our Total Rewards package includes performance‑based incentives and a comprehensive, competitive benefits package designed to support overall physical, mental, and financial well‑being (as applicable). Learn more about Hershey’s benefits and all the resources Hershey provides to support our employees’ physical, emotional, and financial well‑being by visiting the Hershey Digital Employee Experience at https://www.askHRbenefits.hersheys.com

The Hershey Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The policy of The Hershey Company is to extend opportunities to qualified applicants and employees on an equal basis regardless of an individual's race, color, gender, age, national origin, religion, citizenship status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, transgender status, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other categories protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.

The Hershey Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer - Minority/Female/Disabled/Protected Veterans. You may request a reasonable accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our online application process as a result of a disability. You can request an accommodation via phone or email.To request an accommodation via phone, please call +1 877-804-1794 and leave a voicemail with your contact information. You may also email a request for accommodation to ApplicationHelp@hersheys.com. Please be sure to include “Accommodation Needed” in the subject line. This will ensure that your email is routed to the appropriate contact who will handle your request.