Cold Chain & Packaging Lead Engineer

About Relocalize

Relocalize is reimagining the food supply chain. Our mission is to decarbonize and decentralize food production by deploying automated, hyperlocal micro-factories that cut food waste, eliminate trucking, and slash CO₂ emissions. We are a venture-backed clean-tech startup scaling breakthrough automation technology with global impact. By co-locating production and packaging at distribution centers, we aim to make supply chains cleaner, faster, and more resilient.

‍

The Opportunity

We’re looking for a hands-on Cold Chain & Packaging Lead Engineer who thrives in an entrepreneurial environment. This is not a typical behind-the-scenes R&D role — you’ll be in the thick of it, from designing thermal experiments in our lab to collaborating with sales on ice packs performance tests. You will be the go-to expert for everything cold chain and packaging, driving innovation in how we keep products cold and safe. If you’re excited to build something from scratch (literally setting up labs and new processes) and see your ideas directly reduce waste and emissions, this role is for you. You’ll work across engineering, operations, and sales, ensuring our cold chain solutions go from concept to reality with speed, precision, and impact.

‍

What You’ll Do

• Technical Product Manager (TPM): Leads the development and commercialization of our autonomous, on-site cold-packs product, bridging engineering, operations, and customer needs in collaboration with our CTO and CRO. This role defines product requirements and performance specifications (thermal performance, packaging, automation interfaces, and conditioning standards), coordinates cross-functional teams to design and deliver reliable, food-safe, water-based cold packs, and ensures seamless integration within Relocalize’s micro-factory platform. The TPM translates customer and market insights into scalable technical solutions, drives product validation through testing and data, and supports continuous improvement of cost, sustainability, and manufacturability to advance Relocalize’s mission of decarbonizing the cold chain.

‍

• Cold Pack Science & Design Expert: Develop and deepen our understanding of cold pack science - including coolant chemistry, thermal performance, and packaging design. Lead experimentation on how different materials, film types, fill compositions, and geometries affect cooling behavior and durability. Build data-backed models to optimize cold pack performance across melt duration, temperature stability, and structural integrity. Partner with suppliers to evaluate new packaging systems, materials and formulations that enhance performance while improving sustainability.

‍

• Sustainable Packaging Systems & Process Improvement Expert: Become our packaging system expert and own the relationships with our packaging technology providers. Lead process engineering initiatives focused on sustainable packaging systems. Evaluate and refine packaging materials, sealing technologies, and production workflows to reduce waste, energy use, and cost. Collaborate with equipment and material suppliers to validate packaging innovations that enhance both performance and sustainability. Partner with the engineering team to standardize best practices across future micro-factory deployments.

‍

• Lab Leadership: Run our in-house labs for thermal testing and packaging durability testing. Design and execute experiments to improve ice production processes and test packaging strength (puncture, drop, and vibration resistance). Analyze results and use data to guide design improvements.

‍

• Thermal Performance Testing: Build and lead a new thermal performance testing lab from the ground up. Select testing equipment, develop protocols in line with industry standards (e.g. ISTA thermal profiles), and conduct thermal chamber tests to verify that our packaging maintains required temperatures (e.g. 4 °C for 20+ hours) under various conditions.

‍

• Sample Program Ownership: Coordinate and lead the process of creating and delivering product samples (e.g. frozen cold pack trials or packaged ice samples) for prospective customers.

‍

• External Collaboration: Serve as the primary point of contact for third-party labs and testing facilities.

‍

What You Bring

• Education & Background: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Chemical, or similar), Material Science, Packaging Engineering, or a related field.

‍

• Industry Experience: 5+ years of experience in cold pack technology, packaging design/testing, or thermal R&D. Experience in temperature-controlled packaging (for food, pharmaceuticals, or similar) or material science of insulating materials is highly preferred. Startup experience is a strong plus (we love folks who can adapt and wear many hats).

‍

• Lab & Technical Skills: Proven hands-on experience setting up and running laboratory tests for physical products. Comfortable with designing experiments, using lab equipment (thermal chambers, data loggers, etc.), and interpreting data to drive decisions. Familiarity with industry test standards for packaging and thermal performance (e.g. ISTA guidelines for cold-chain shipping tests) is a big advantage. Bonus if you have experience with CAD or packaging design software for prototyping solutions.

‍

• Problem-Solving & Ownership: Natural problem-solver who thrives in fast-moving, ambiguous environments. You anticipate roadblocks and creatively engineer around them. You take ownership of projects from start to finish, whether it’s a new lab setup or an urgent customer request, and you do so with limited resources and time.

‍

• Cross-Functional Communication: Strong communication and collaboration skills. You can talk thermal dynamics with engineers one minute, then distill those concepts for a sales or operations colleague the next. Ability to clearly explain technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders (and vice versa) is key. You’re a team player who can align diverse groups toward a common goal.

‍

• Leadership & Mentorship: While this is initially an individual contributor role, you should be comfortable leading interns or junior team members on projects. You set an example with your work ethic and organization. Experience mentoring others or leading small teams in a lab or project setting is a plus.

‍

• Passion & Impact: A passion for climate action, sustainability, and innovative technology. You care about reducing waste and CO₂ in supply chains, and you’re motivated by the mission of providing sustainable alternatives (e.g. replacing Styrofoam coolers and gel packs with greener solutions). You want your work to make a tangible positive impact on the world.

‍

Why You’ll Love Working Here

• Autonomy & Ownership: Work in a startup culture where you have real ownership, autonomy, and visibility. You’ll have the freedom to build out your domain and the responsibility to make it happen.

‍

• Tangible Impact: See your work directly reduce food waste and CO₂ emissions. The innovations you lead in cold chain and packaging will tangibly decarbonize supply chains and improve sustainability, which you can feel good about every day.

‍

• Growth & Vision: Grow with a mission-driven company backed by strong partners and investors. You’ll be joining at a mid-senior level in a critical domain, with opportunities to shape the future of cold chain technology at Relocalize. As we scale our network of micro-factories across North America, your work will be central to our success – and you’ll grow your career in the process.

Join us at Relocalize and help build the future of sustainable cold-chain logistics. If you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and reinvent how we keep things cold (while saving the planet), we want to hear from you!