Senior Packaging Engineering Leader

Sanford E.
Fitelson

30+ years delivering packaging excellence across personal care, nutraceutical, and food — from structural design and supplier qualification through sustainability initiatives and enterprise-level PLM systems.

30+Years Experience
$2M+Savings Delivered
500KLbs Plastic Eliminated
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Featured Work

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New Launch · Skincare

Luxury Serum Collection

Glass dropper bottle line — structural design & material spec

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Redesign · Personal Care

Body Care Brand Refresh

Brand refresh — tooling, label, and component overhaul

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Sustainability · Skincare

Eco Transition Program

PCR material migration across 12 SKUs

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All Work

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Overview

My Role

Sanford E.
Fitelson

Senior Manager, Packaging Engineering

Contact

Valencia, CA

310-420-5124

sefitelson@yahoo.com

linkedin.com/in/sanfordfitelson

yourpackagingengineer.com

Core Skills

Packaging Development & Commercialization
Supplier Qualification & Audits
Sustainability & PCR Integration
PLM Systems (Agile)
Cost Reduction & Value Engineering
Cross-Functional Leadership
Packaging Testing & Validation

Education

MBA

Pepperdine University

BS Packaging Science

Rochester Institute of Technology

BS Information Technology

DeVry Institute of Technology

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Professional Summary

Senior packaging engineering leader with 30+ years of experience supporting nutraceutical, food, and personal care brands. Operates as a senior individual contributor with Director-level scope, providing end-to-end technical ownership of packaging systems, specifications, supplier qualification, testing, and risk mitigation. Proven ability to lead through influence, mentor engineers, and partner effectively with Procurement, Quality, Operations, and Marketing. Recognized for modernizing packaging systems, driving sustainability initiatives, qualifying suppliers and materials, and de-risking complex launches. MBA with strong financial acumen.

Experience

Senior Packaging EngineerMay 2022 – Present

Meaningful Beauty · El Segundo, CA

  • Revitalized entire brand portfolio for shelf impact and saved over 100K pounds of plastic annually
  • Achieved $56K savings in first quarter through removal of full body shrink sleeves
  • Implemented improvements in kit designs and haircare pumps which reduced complaints and delighted customers
  • Provided guidance and efficiency improvements in art routing and specification best practices following spinoff from Guthy|Renker
Senior Manager, PackagingJuly 2016 – April 2022

Beachbody · El Segundo, CA

  • Served as enterprise packaging technical lead directing cross-functional teams across Product Development, Operations, Procurement, Quality, and Marketing
  • Supervised and mentored a senior packaging engineer; provided informal mentorship and technical guidance across broader development teams
  • Technical ownership of packaging component portfolio representing approximately $5M in annual packaging spend
  • Led conversion to post-consumer resins eliminating over 500,000 lbs of virgin plastic annually — awarded Gold Flexible Packaging Achievement Award for Sustainability
  • Re-architected PLM packaging and finished goods specifications, reducing errors and cutting data entry time by 83%
  • Identified $500K in savings on a $5M packaging portfolio through material optimization and specification improvements
Packaging Engineering Manager (R&D)April 2012 – June 2015

Pharmavite · Valencia, CA

  • Recruited to build and lead the Packaging Engineering function within R&D from the ground up
  • Hired, trained, and managed a team of six packaging engineers
  • Managed annual CAPEX budget of approximately $100K for packaging-related tooling and equipment
  • Delivered $735K in annualized savings within first six months by streamlining packaging data management
  • Led selection and implementation of a web-based packaging specification system
Package Engineering Fellow | Packaging ManagerDecember 2008 – April 2012

Henkel / Dial · Scottsdale, AZ

  • Provided senior-level packaging engineering support for consumer product lines
  • Led packaging development, testing, and supplier qualification activities
  • Partnered with Procurement and Operations to evaluate alternate materials and suppliers
Early Career

Herbalife International · Neutrogena / Johnson & Johnson · ConAgra / Hunt-Wesson

  • Herbalife: Led initiative identifying $972K in corrugate cost savings; Aloe line redesign generated additional $192K in annual savings
  • Neutrogena/J&J: Optimized electronic drawing process for packaging specifications; eliminated shipping fines by resolving pallet data and label inaccuracies
  • ConAgra/Hunt-Wesson: Helped save $700K annually through material selection and qualification for packaging reduction project

Selected Expertise

Packaging Development & Commercialization
PLM Systems (Agile)
Supplier Qualification & Audits
Sustainability & PCR Integration
Cost Reduction & Value Engineering
Packaging Testing & Validation
Cross-Functional Team Leadership
Regulatory & Quality Compliance
Plant Trials & Manufacturing Support

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About

Turning complex packaging challenges into measurable results.

I'm a senior packaging engineering leader with 30+ years of experience across personal care, nutraceutical, and food industries. I've spent my career at the intersection of technical rigor and business impact — whether that's leading a team of six engineers at Pharmavite, managing a $5M packaging portfolio at Beachbody, or revitalizing an entire brand's packaging lineup at Meaningful Beauty.

I operate as a principal-level individual contributor with director-level scope — providing end-to-end technical ownership from concept through commercialization. My work spans structural design, material specification, supplier qualification, sustainability initiatives, and PLM systems. I bring an MBA perspective to engineering decisions, which means I'm always thinking about cost, risk, and long-term value alongside technical performance.

Beyond my corporate work, I run a packaging consulting and services business out of Valencia, California — offering custom label printing, glass packaging solutions, and hands-on consulting for brands that need an experienced engineer in their corner.

30+Years in the industry
500KLbs of plastic eliminated
$2M+In documented savings
3Industry sectors

Get in Touch

Let's work together.

Whether you're looking for a packaging engineer to join your team or need consulting support on a specific project — I'd love to connect.

Valencia, California

sefitelson@yahoo.com

linkedin.com/in/sanfordfitelson

Thanks for reaching out — I'll be in touch within 1–2 business days.