Huhtamaki Careers: Material Science Manager in Espoo

Huhtamaki (Huhtamäki Oyj) is seeking a Senior Manager, Material Science & Barrier Technologies for a full-time position based in Espoo (Uusimaa) or Hämeenlinna (Kanta-Häme), Finland. The vacancy is suited to an experienced material-science professional whose background combines barrier chemistry, fibre-based packaging knowledge and practical trial work. Fluent English is required for this role, which brings together technical leadership, development activity and communication with varied specialist audiences.

Within Huhtamaki's Foodservice Packaging segment, the Senior Manager, Material Science & Barrier Technologies will guide work on fibre and barrier technologies across paperboard and moulded-fibre platforms. Candidates with advanced study in an appropriate chemistry discipline, sound judgement in technical projects and experience with partners outside their organisation may be well matched. The position calls for someone able to connect long-range technology planning with disciplined experimental execution and commercial development work.

Opportunity Details

Overview of the Vacancy

Location, Sector, and Role Context

The Senior Manager, Material Science & Barrier Technologies sits in Material Innovation within the Foodservice Packaging segment and reports to the Head of Material Innovation. Its central purpose is to lead the roadmap for fibre and barrier technology across paperboard and moulded-fibre platforms. Work includes converting technology roadmaps into commercial development projects that support short- and mid-term growth, while ensuring that material-science activity is aligned with fibre-forming technology development. The post also examines emerging fibre and barrier technologies, develops strategic partnerships and advances coating, lamination and surface-barrier solutions. Either Huhtamaki's Espoo site or its Hämeenlinna site may be the base for the role.

Day-to-day work extends from early technical assessment to industrial implementation. The manager leads material-development projects through their full path from concept, plans laboratory, pilot and production-scale trials, and uses findings to shape development plans. The role requires authority in barrier performance, testing methods and material analytics, including work with WVTR and OTR characterisation. A fitting background combines expertise in fibre-based packaging barriers, coating formulations, barrier chemistries and application technologies with experience of suppliers, converters and external innovation partners. The successful candidate also needs to explain complex technical matters clearly, lead independently and build working relationships across functions.

About the Employer: Huhtamaki (Huhtamäki Oyj)

Organization and Relevant Services

Verified Employer Overview

Huhtamaki describes itself as a global business that develops and provides packaging solutions for consumers around the world. Its stated vision is to be the first choice in sustainable packaging solutions globally. The company characterises its heritage as Nordic and more than 100 years old. For a material-science manager, this context places the vacancy within an organisation whose stated activity is packaging development, rather than presenting the role as an isolated laboratory assignment. The employer name used for this opportunity is Huhtamaki, with Huhtamäki Oyj identified as the parent group.

The company develops packaging that is designed for recyclability, compostability or reuse. Huhtamaki also states that its products support hygiene and safety for food on the shelf and food on the go. These published product aims provide relevant context for a role focused on barrier performance, coating approaches and material evaluation. They also help explain why the Foodservice Packaging assignment combines fibre platforms with research into barrier technologies, rather than limiting the work to a single material discipline or one stage of technical development.

Professional Setting and Role Context

Work Environment, Operations, and Facilities

Huhtamaki reports operations in 35 countries and approximately 17,400 employees on its corporate homepage. The vacancy itself offers a base at the Espoo site in Uusimaa or at the Hämeenlinna site in Kanta-Häme. Its responsibilities include relationships with global suppliers, research institutions and technology partners, making the employer's reported international operating footprint relevant to the partnership aspect of the position. No further site facilities, reporting arrangements beyond the stated Head of Material Innovation, or local workforce details are disclosed for this vacancy.

The employer lists Fiber Packaging, Flexible Packaging, Foodservice Packaging and North America among its business segments. This position belongs to Foodservice Packaging and is located within Material Innovation. Huhtamaki identifies Care, Dare and Deliver as its three values. For corporate and office-function recruitment, the company's careers information directs applicants to an external recruitment portal; the application route for this specific position is provided below the preparation guidance. The published information does not describe a particular laboratory facility, team size or on-site working arrangement beyond the stated remote-working day.

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Open Positions

1. Senior Manager, Material Science & Barrier Technologies

Official title: Senior Manager, Material Science & Barrier Technologies

Location: Espoo (Uusimaa) or Hämeenlinna (Kanta-Häme), Finland | Employment information: Full-time; one remote-working day per week

This senior material-science post combines roadmap leadership with hands-on development discipline. The appointed manager will evaluate technologies and partners, establish sound approaches to material testing, and move selected work from initial concepts towards industrial implementation. The remit covers paperboard and moulded-fibre platforms as well as coating, lamination and surface-barrier solutions. It also includes knowledge-sharing and collaboration across materials, structures and manufacturing processes, so the role is designed for a technically grounded leader who can connect evidence from trials with broader development priorities.

Responsibilities

• Lead the technology roadmap for fibre and barrier work across paperboard and moulded-fibre platforms.
• Convert technology-roadmap priorities into commercial development projects that contribute to short- and mid-term growth, while coordinating material-science work with fibre-forming technology development.
• Identify emerging fibre and barrier technologies, assess their potential and develop strategic partnerships connected with them.
• Assess and introduce coating, lamination and surface-barrier approaches suitable for the development work.
• Develop and maintain working relationships with suppliers, research institutions and technology partners worldwide.
• Direct material-development projects from their initial concept through industrial implementation.
• Design and carry out laboratory, pilot and production-scale trials, then use the results to prepare development plans.
• Serve as the specialist authority on barrier performance, test methods and material analytics, establishing robust protocols and scientific rigour for material assessment.
• Advance inventions, patents and intellectual-property work while coaching colleagues, sharing expertise, building capability and collaborating across materials, structures and manufacturing processes.

Qualifications

• An MSc or PhD in emulsion chemistry, polymer science, surface chemistry, dispersion chemistry, coating chemistry or a related discipline is required.
• Applicants need expertise in fibre-based packaging barriers, coating formulations, barrier chemistries and application technologies.
• Strong experience in the design, execution and interpretation of laboratory, pilot and production-scale trials is required.
• Candidates must bring deep knowledge of barrier characterisation, including WVTR and OTR, together with material-performance testing.
• Experience of working with suppliers, converters and external innovation partners is required.
• The role requires independent project leadership, sound technical decision-making, ownership of work and the ability to balance strategic direction with experimental execution.
• Excellent communication skills are needed to translate complex technical subjects for diverse audiences and to build cross-functional relationships.
• Fluent English is required; no professional licence requirement is stated for the vacancy.
• Preferred: The employer ideally seeks 10 or more years of industrial experience in barrier materials, coatings, laminations, specialty chemicals or related technologies.

Skills and Competencies

• The role uses fibre-based packaging-barrier expertise to guide the paperboard and moulded-fibre technology roadmap.
• Knowledge of coating formulations and barrier chemistries supports assessment of potential material solutions.
• Capability in coating, lamination and surface-barrier technologies is applied when solutions are evaluated and implemented.
• WVTR and OTR characterisation knowledge informs barrier-performance assessment and material-performance testing.
• Material analytics and robust testing protocols are used to maintain scientific rigour in evaluation work.
• Laboratory, pilot and production trial capability is needed to generate findings that can be converted into development plans.
• Supplier, converter and research-partner relationship skills support collaboration with external organisations.
• Technology scouting, partnership development, project leadership, intellectual-property work and cross-functional coaching all support the role's development remit.

Benefits and Employment Information

• The employer describes the work as meaningful because it focuses on packaging solutions intended to protect food, people and the planet.
• Huhtamaki lists development opportunities and support for employee growth.
• The published employer commitments cover sustainability, diversity and inclusion, together with psychological and physical safety.
• This Senior Manager, Material Science & Barrier Technologies vacancy is full-time and includes one remote-working day per week; the vacancy does not publish a salary.

Application Guidance

Prepare a Focused Application

CV, Evidence, Documents, and Interview Preparation

General preparation guidance: applicants for this kind of material-science leadership role can prepare clear examples of barrier-development work, especially where they planned or interpreted laboratory, pilot and production-scale trials. A concise account of how a coating formulation, lamination approach or surface-barrier solution was assessed can help demonstrate technical judgement without claiming results that cannot be supported. Candidates may also organise examples showing how WVTR, OTR or other material-performance testing informed a development decision. This is general application guidance, not an additional requirement stated by Huhtamaki.

For interview preparation, it can be useful to outline how complex technical findings have been communicated to different audiences and how relationships with suppliers, converters, research institutions or other innovation partners have been managed. Applicants may also be ready to discuss a project that balanced strategic aims with experimental work, including how trial findings were turned into a development plan. Those with relevant industrial experience can describe it accurately and distinguish it from academic work. This is general preparation advice; the vacancy does not request a portfolio, certificates or a professional licence.

• Prepare an English CV that accurately sets out the relevant MSc or PhD background in chemistry or a related discipline.
• Select an example of a fibre-based barrier, coating, lamination or surface-barrier project that can be explained clearly.
• Be ready to describe how laboratory, pilot and production-scale trial results were interpreted and used in a development plan.
• Organise an accurate example of work involving WVTR, OTR or another material-performance testing approach.
• Prepare concise examples of collaboration with suppliers, converters, research institutions or technology partners.
• Consider how to explain an independent technical decision and a cross-functional working relationship in this field.

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How to Apply

Submit Your Application Through the Verified Route

Apply Through the Official Employer Portal

Use the official employer application portal reached through the button below these instructions to submit an application for Senior Manager, Material Science & Barrier Technologies. Prepare the CV in English before starting the process and present relevant qualifications and experience accurately. After a ten-second pause, the link leads straight to Huhtamaki's application page. No additional application documents are specified in the vacancy information.