Container Specification Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

Job Title: Container Specification Engineer

Job Description

The Container Specification Engineer researches, develops, and publishes detailed container specifications that support container engineering, manufacturing engineering, and plant and supplier operations. This role operates at a strategic, non-routine level, transforming complex, unclear, or novel information into clear, executable specifications for tactical project teams. Drawing on mathematics and physics, the engineer designs experiments, analyzes data, and supports problem-solving and decision-making across packaging, logistics, and manufacturing. The role requires staying current with packaging industry trends and emerging technologies, providing rapid technical support on container design, engineering, process, fabrication, and quality questions, and enabling closed-loop learning for container design and engineering stakeholders. The position offers strong professional growth in automotive packaging, program management skills, and exposure to core container engineering.

Responsibilities

• Research, develop, and publish container and packaging specifications that support multiple stakeholders across the supply base, logistics, and manufacturing operations.
• Translate unclear, disorganized, or novel technical information into clear, structured specifications that can be efficiently executed at the project level.
• Apply mathematics and physics principles to design experiments, analyze results, and illuminate data for problem-solving, decision-making, and specification writing.
• Stay current with packaging industry practices, trends, and emerging technologies, and incorporate relevant advances into specifications and recommendations.
• Manage diverse projects that are technically broad in nature and may have chaotic or shifting timing, ensuring deliverables meet quality and functional requirements.
• Serve as a technical expert for a broad range of packaging methods, including containerization, returnable containers, and automotive packaging solutions.
• Participate in and often lead Design and Specifications Meetings and Specification Committee Meetings, helping to prioritize specification topics and workload.
• Support internal and external container designers with NX and Teamcenter-related issues, providing guidance on 3D modeling, CAD practices, and data management.
• Collaborate closely with container engineers, manufacturing engineers, program management teams, and plant and supplier operations to ensure specifications are practical and effective.
• Facilitate closed-loop learning by capturing lessons learned from container design and engineering activities and feeding them back into improved specifications and standards.
• Provide broad and rapid responses to container design, engineering, process, fabrication, and quality questions from stakeholders across the organization.
• Recognize personal technical limitations and proactively recruit knowledgeable internal and external partners to collaborate on complex packaging and engineering challenges.
• Influence plant operations by considering lineside staging, operator and robot access to parts, and other practical manufacturing constraints in container and packaging specifications.
• Support cost and financial objectives by considering budget constraints and cost impacts in container and packaging decisions.
• Contribute to a collaborative engineering team environment and participate in team-building activities that support learning and professional growth.

Essential Skills

• Strong expertise in packaging engineering, including container specification, packaging design, containerization, and returnable container concepts.
• Experience in automotive manufacturing or the automotive industry, particularly in packaging and containerization for production environments.
• Ability to manage technically broad projects with changing priorities and timing while maintaining quality and meeting deadlines.
• Proficiency in 3D modeling and CAD tools, preferably with UG-NX (NX) and TeamCenter Engineering (TcAE) or similar systems.
• Ability to support and troubleshoot NX and TeamCenter issues for internal and external container designers.
• Solid understanding of manufacturing processes, fabrication, and capacity studies as they relate to containers and packaging.
• Strong foundation in mathematics and physics, with the ability to apply these principles to experiment design and data analysis.
• Good communication skills, both written and verbal, to work effectively across engineering, manufacturing, logistics, and supplier organizations.
• Strong computer skills and comfort working with engineering and data systems.
• Program management capability, including coordination of multiple stakeholders and tasks.
• Automotive launch experience, including exposure to new program introductions and ramp-up activities.
• Cost and financial awareness, including experience staying within budget and considering cost impacts of engineering decisions.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Education in Packaging Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related field; candidates with a Mechanical Engineering Technology (MET) degree and relevant packaging experience may also be considered.
• Experience as an Industrial Engineer is particularly well-suited due to exposure to packaging, supply chain, and plant operations in both education and work experience.
• Understanding of supply chain and logistics considerations related to container and packaging design.
• Exposure to systems engineering principles applied to packaging and container solutions.
• Experience influencing plant operations, including lineside staging and how operators or robots access parts from containers.
• Natural curiosity and a passion for math and science, with the ability to recognize and solve problems with minimal supervision.
• Willingness to learn and adapt; packaging training will be provided if needed to build specific skills.
• Ability to collaborate effectively within a large engineering organization and contribute to a culture of continuous learning and improvement.

Work Environment

This is a first-shift, hybrid position, typically involving three days in the office and two days working remotely each week. On-site work takes place in a large engineering center that houses approximately four thousand employees, providing access to a broad community of around one hundred engineers within the immediate group, organized into Program Management and Container Engineering teams. The role involves working with modern engineering tools such as NX and TeamCenter in a professional office environment. Travel expectations are modest, at approximately 10% or less. The dress code is business casual. The team values learning and collaboration and holds quarterly team-building events in a safe and supportive environment, offering strong opportunities for professional growth in both program management and core container engineering.

This is a Contract position based out of Warren, MI.

The pay range for this position is $40.00 - $55.00/hr.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:
• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

This is a hybrid position in Warren,MI.

This position is anticipated to close on Apr 30, 2026.

At Actalent, diversity and inclusion are a bridge towards the equity and success of our people. DE&I is embedded into our culture through:

• Hiring diverse talent
• Maintaining an inclusive environment through persistent self-reflection
• Building a culture of care, engagement, and recognition with clear outcomes
• Ensuring growth opportunities for our people

Actalent is an equal opportunity employer.

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services. For more than 40 years, we’ve helped visionary companies advance their goals. Headquartered in the United States, our teams span 150 offices across North America, EMEA, and APAC—with four delivery centers in India led by 1,000+ extraordinary employees who connect their passion with purpose every day.

Our Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, and Chennai delivery centers are hubs of engineering expertise, with core capabilities in mechanical and electrical engineering, systems and software, and manufacturing engineering. Our teams deliver work across multiple industries including transportation, consumer and industrial products, and life sciences. We serve more than 4,500 clients, including many Fortune 500 brands. Learn more about how we can work together at actalentservices.com.