Engineering Team leader – Product Development & Productivity

From a small family business to a multi-billion-dollar global company, Sonoco has been changing the face of products and packaging since 1899 — all while keeping the heart of “People Build Businesses” alive.

Our talented people are at the core of our growth, constantly reinventing the Sonoco wheel with brilliant solutions every year. Today we are a world leader in global packaging solutions with diversified operations in over 34 countries. We're extremely proud of our portfolio of brands, our achievements in sustainability and industrialization and the groundbreaking work accomplished by our people. 

Engineering Team Leader – Key Projects

Come join our high-impact technology team at Sonoco ($7.5b global leader) dedicated to transforming our industrial paper converting products and processes.  We have a fun and supportive environment where innovation is encouraged and rewarded.  

Specifically, this position will lead and oversee the technology team, ensuring the successful execution of projects, adherence to timelines, and the achievement of technical excellence. This role requires a strategic thinker with strong leadership skills and a deep understanding of engineering principles and practices.  We have a small team focused on key technical projects relating to product and process developments, product design optimizations and material optimizations, as well as other projects related to supporting our global industrial paper converting businesses.  Our goal is to ensure we maintain and build our technology leadership position. 

You and your team will lead various types of technical initiatives, collaborating closely with others in Global Technology & Engineering as well as our cross-functional partners in Sales, Operations, Quality, and Marketing to drive results.  Continually looking for innovative ways to drive cost and complexity out of our products is also a key focus area for this team.

You and your team will be responsible for projects from inception to development, all the way to successful commercialization.  Thus, it is a very rewarding role with opportunities for growth and variety of work.

Sonoco is a $7.5 billion company with 127 years of rich history.  Based at our Corporate Headquarters in Hartsville, SC, you’ll enjoy the mild South Carolina winter weather and the charm of a smaller town—home to the South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics (GSSM), ranked the #1 Best Public High School in SC and #4 in the nation. Plus, you’re perfectly positioned for weekend escapes: just 2 hours from the SC coast at Myrtle Beach and 4 hours from the Great Smoky Mountains.

What You’ll Be Doing:

• Collaborate with Experts: Partner with engineers, scientists, and project managers to design, test, and refine products and processes relating to our paper-based industrial products.
• Be Hands-On: Work directly in our R&D facilities alongside technicians to bring concepts to life through prototyping and experimentation.
• Generate Ideas: Identify and pitch new opportunities for growth, material & product design optimization, and breakthrough productivity initiatives.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of engineers, fostering a collaborative and innovative work environment.
• Oversee the engineering budget, ensuring efficient allocation of resources and cost-effective solutions.
• Lead with Data: Use tools like Python, Minitab, and Excel to perform deep-dive analytics and to make informed technical decisions and to identify productivity opportunities. 
• Identify projects aimed at making us more competitive on our product designs, materials, or manufacturing processes. 
• Own the Lifecycle: Manage project timelines from conception to commercialization using Planner and other modern project management tools.
• Keep Leadership Informed: Provide clear, data-driven updates on project status, milestones, and strategic alignment.
• Bridge the Gaps: Work cross-functionally with Operations, Sales, Quality, and Marketing to identify opportunities and needs as well as to ensure technical solutions meet real-world market needs.
• Build Technical Expertise: Develop a "master-level" understanding of our materials and products—using that depth of knowledge to fuel meaningful innovation.

We’d love to hear from you if you have:

• Education: A BS, MS or PhD in Mechanical Engineering (or a related technical field).
• Experience: Around 10 years of professional experience, ideally with some experience in people management.
• Project Expertise: A proven track record in project management; PMP, PMI, or PPM certifications are a significant plus.
• Technical Savvy: Knowledge of the paper industry is a bonus, but a passion for innovation is essential.
• Collaborative Mindset: You thrive in a team setting and enjoy an environment that rewards creative problem-solving and meaningful innovation.

Compensation:

The annual base salary range for this role is from $150,960 to $169,830, plus an annual target bonus of 12.5% of base salary.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and we strictly prohibit and do not tolerate discrimination against employees, applicants or any other covered persons because of race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, marital status, gender identity or expression, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any legally protected characteristic.