Flexible Packaging – Technical Business Development Manager

Auckland Based – National exposure

Are you a Packaging Technologist, Packaging Development Specialist, Product Development Technologist or Food Technologist with flexible packaging experience?

If you’ve developed packaging, worked with suppliers, solved production challenges, managed artwork changes, improved sustainability or supported product launches, this could be your next step.

Put your technical expertise to work in a customer-focused sales role, helping shape packaging decisions and commercial outcomes. Your knowledge generates credibility and will provide confidence in customer conversations, drawing on and guiding customers through technical details you already understand.

It’s an opportunity to take your career beyond technical specialisation, build your business and commercial acumen, and learn how to develop strong customer relationships, all while putting your packaging expertise at the heart of what you do.

Snell is a privately owned, market-leading packaging and safety business, headquartered in Penrose, Auckland, with operations across New Zealand, Australia, and China. For over 16 years, our Flexibles division has supported some of the country’s leading food, agricultural, and manufacturing businesses with technically sound, commercially smart and sustainable packaging solutions.

We are now looking for a Technical Business Development Manager – Flexible packaging

This is hands on role to help customers shape their new packaging for the supermarket shelves.

You’ll be expected to:

• Develop new business across FMCG, agriculture, dairy and manufacturing sectors.

• Work alongside existing key accounts to identify new packaging opportunities

• Act as a technical advisor to customers, supporting:

  • Flexible packaging structures and materials
  • Barrier requirements and product protection
  • Machinery compatibility and operational efficiencies

• Support new product development, packaging redesigns, and artwork transitions.

• Collaborate closely with internal specialists, offshore manufacturing partners, and customers to deliver the right outcome.

You’ll manage existing customers and develop new business, owning opportunities from start to finish with support from the wider team and a divisional manager who also is a packaging technologist.

About You

You are likely to succeed in this role if you have:

• A background in Packaging Technology, Packaging Development, Product Development or Food Technology is essential.
• 3+ years experience within the food, packaging, product development, or manufacturing industries, ideally with exposure to flexible packaging.
• The ability to speak confidently with packaging technologists, NPD, marketing, operations/production, and procurement personnel.
• Strong commercial judgement around MOQs, pricing, and customer fit
• Experience managing multiple stakeholders within medium to large organisations.
• A self-driven approach, balanced with a willingness to collaborate and ask for input.

Experience working with FMCG brands, food manufacturers and packaging decision-makers would be highly advantageous. You don’t need to know everything on day one, but you must be technically curious and commercially sharp.

Although Auckland based, this role will see you travel around New Zealand as required to see new and existing customers.

What’s On Offer

• Competitive base salary
• Tools of trade including Company vehicle, Mobile and Laptop.
• Performance-based incentives
• A supportive, experienced team who take their work seriously, but don’t take themselves too seriously
• Regular social events and a business that genuinely invests in its people.

If you are looking for a role where your technical knowledge is valued, your judgement is trusted, and your effort translates into real results, we’d like to hear from you.