Manager, Packaging Programs & Sourcing Execution in Pickerington, Ohio at R.G. Barry Corporation

What You’ll Do

The Manager, Packaging Programs & Sourcing Execution owns end-to-end execution for a portfolio of packaging, pallet, display, and customer-presentation programs from confirmed requirements through production release. This hands-on working manager establishes priorities and readiness plans, coordinates internal and external partners, translates approved customer and compliance requirements into executable specifications, directly creates and maintains packaging raw material codes and subassemblies, and manages supplier and factory follow-through. The role applies judgment to balance customer commitments, production timing, compliance, cost, and business risk while driving accountability, timely decisions, and appropriate escalation.

Specific Responsibilities

1. Owns a portfolio of pallet, packaging, display, and customer-presentation programs from confirmed requirements through production release, establishing priorities, workplans, owners, and critical milestones across concurrent initiatives.

3. Works directly with third-party domestic packaging and pallet suppliers to coordinate physical sample pallet builds, request and compare quotations, evaluate design and pack-out alternatives, and validate pallet dimensions, height, capacity, cube, and case or pair counts. Partner with the supplier and Logistics to develop and confirm container and truck loading plans.

3. Work directly with third-party domestic packaging and pallet suppliers to coordinate physical sample pallet builds, request and compare quotations, evaluate design and pack-out alternatives, and validate pallet dimensions, height, capacity, cube, and case or pair counts. Partner with the supplier and Logistics to develop and confirm container and truck loading plans.

4. Creates and maintains a centralized pallet-program library for all approved programs across the business, including sample-build photographs and diagrams, pallet dimensions and height, capacity and pack-out assumptions, case or pair counts, supplier quotations, approved configurations, and related container and truck loading plans.

5. Serves as the primary Sourcing lead and cross-functional point of accountability for packaging and pallet readiness, driving alignment among Brand & Creative, Marketing, Sales / Account Support, Product Management, Customer Compliance, Planning, Logistics, the China sourcing office, factories, and packaging suppliers.

6. Translates approved customer, retailer, brand, and compliance requirements into production-ready packaging and pallet specifications, system setup, materials, labeling, carton markings, pallet labels, pack-out instructions, build diagrams, and supplier or factory direction.

7. Directly creates, revises, and maintains packaging raw material codes, bills of material or subassemblies, item setup, specifications, and related data in applicable business systems, while setting standards for accuracy, governance, and version control.

8. Interprets customer and retailer compliance guides for on-product labels, polybag labels, UPC and barcode placement, country-of-origin and warning statements, case labels, carton markings, pallet labels, and other identification or logistics requirements; lead clarification and validate execution before release.

9. Leads change control when packaging, assortment, or pallet requirements shift after finalization, pass-off, approval, or purchase-order placement; assess options and recommend an execution path based on customer commitments, compliance, cost, inventory, supplier lead times, production timing, transportation efficiency, and delivery risk.

10. Evaluates and communicates customer, financial, timing, compliance, transportation, and production exposure; resolve decisions within scope and provide timely escalation with clear options and recommended actions when risk is material.

11. Establishes and manages program calendars, approval gates, required-by dates, decision logs, quotation comparisons, capacity and cube assumptions, approved loading plans, version controls, and readiness reviews so internal teams, suppliers, and factories are working from current direction and accountable to critical deadlines.

12. Drives closure of missing inputs, conflicting requirements, and unclear ownership before they disrupt sample builds, artwork release, packaging ordering, printing, loading plans, delivery to factory, co-packing, or production readiness.

13. Leads day-to-day execution with the China sourcing office, factories, and domestic or overseas packaging suppliers, resolving questions across time zones and maintaining production momentum through changing requirements.

14. Directs the disposition of obsolete, incorrect, or previously printed packaging materials, including reuse, replacement, rework, and escalation of material financial exposure.

15. Establishes and improves practical SOPs, readiness checklists, pallet and packaging program trackers, data standards, and cross-training documentation; identify recurring process failures or capacity constraints and provide functional direction to team members and partners supporting execution.

Benefits

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Short Term Disability (100% Company Paid)
• Long Term Disability (100% Company Paid)
• Basic Life Insurance (100% Company Paid)
• Voluntary Life Insurance
• Accident
• Critical Illness
• 401(k) with Company Contributions
• Legal and Identity Theft Coverage
• Generous Team Member Discount
• Education Assistance
• Scholarships for Team Member’s Children
• 8 Paid Holidays
• One Week of Paid Summer Vacation
• One Week of Paid Winter Vacation

Salary Information

The salary range for this position is $95,000-$105,000. This range is posted in good faith as an expected base amount the job will pay, and it may vary based on experience and location. Additionally, there is an opportunity for an annual bonus and merit increase based on performance.

1. Bachelor's degree in Packaging, Business, Supply Chain, Product Development, Merchandising, Operations, Engineering, or a related field and five or more years of relevant experience; an equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.

2. Hands-on experience carrying packaging or customer-presentation requirements from confirmed direction through detailed setup, supplier or factory execution, and production release, including creating or maintaining packaging raw material codes, bills of material, subassemblies, item setup, or comparable system data.

3. Practical working knowledge of packaging materials, artwork and printing workflows, labeling, carton markings, pack-out, lead times, and production constraints, with the ability to interpret customer or retailer guides and translate approved requirements into executable instructions.

4. Demonstrated ability to own a portfolio of concurrent cross-functional programs, set priorities and milestones, manage changing requirements after approval or order placement, assess customer and financial risk, and drive timely decisions and closure.

5. Strong communication and relationship-building skills, including the ability to influence without direct authority and coordinate effectively across internal teams, sourcing offices, factories, and suppliers.

6. Strong Excel, project-management, documentation, and version-control skills, including the ability to compare supplier quotations, maintain program libraries, and coordinate physical sample builds and supplier-developed container and truck loading plans.

7. Self-directed, detail-oriented, and comfortable solving problems in ambiguous or rapidly changing environments while working across time zones with international sourcing offices, factories, and domestic or overseas suppliers.

8. Experience supporting packaging, customer-specific product presentation, or related execution in a retail, consumer products, sourcing, product development, merchandising, or supply chain environment preferred. Exposure to pallet programs, packaging suppliers, structural packaging, or packaging compliance is a plus.

9. Alignment with RG Barry's values of trust, ambition, inclusion, creativity, responsibility, and teamwork.