Posting date reported · time unknown · Found via Linkedin
Chief Scientist – Sustainable Food Packaging
Pakka Limited, a maker of compostable fibre-based food-service and flexible packaging, is hiring a Chief Scientist in Bengaluru. The role leads the research roadmap for plastic-free, PFAS-free barrier packaging from lab formulation to commercial scale.
- Country
- India
- Experience
- 10–15 years
- Salary / stipend
- Pay not disclosed
- Job type
- Full-time
- Work mode
- On-site
- Function
- R&D / product development
Contact for this vacancy
This notice lists 1 email and 0 phone numbers to apply or ask about the role.
Sign up free to see contact detailsWho can apply
Ph.D. in Fibre, Polymer or Materials Science, Cellulose Chemistry, Barrier Materials, Chemical Engineering or related
Review the original notice to confirm the requirements. Related degrees are not automatically equivalent; the recruiting organisation decides eligibility.
What you’ll do
- Own the technical roadmap across barrier coatings, moulded fibre, flexible packaging and fibre feedstocks
- Lead science in cellulose, biomaterials, polymers and surface chemistry
- Develop plastic-free, PFAS-free barriers for moisture, oxygen, grease, heat and sealability
- Take research from lab prototypes through pilot validation to commercial scale
- Set experimental design, material characterisation and testing protocols
- Own the science IP strategy and patent filings
- Hire and mentor lead scientists and materials scientists
- Build research collaborations with universities, institutes and start-ups
- Turn customer briefs into prototypes with the customer and commercial teams
What the employer asks for
- Ph.D. in Fibre Science, Polymer Science, Materials Science, Cellulose Chemistry, Barrier Materials, Chemical Engineering or a closely related field
- 10 to 15 years of industrial R&D in fibre, polymers, coatings or packaging, leading multidisciplinary teams
- At least one lab-to-commercial-scale launch
- Expertise in research management, IP and patents
- International R&D collaboration experience
About the employer
Pakka Ltd has over 40 years of manufacturing and makes eco-friendly, compostable packaging across wrap and carry, food service and flexible packaging.
How to apply
Apply by email to lakshmi.vikram@pakka.com.
Skills for this role
What employers ask for in R&D / New Product Development roles. named in this notice
- Barrier coatings
- Moulded fibre
- Flexible packaging
- Cellulose and polymer chemistry
- Material characterisation
- Patent / IP strategy
- R&D
- Formulation
- New Product Development
- NPD
- Product Development
- Reformulation
- Food Scientist
- Sensory evaluation
- Shelf-life study
- Accelerated shelf life
Pay on similar vacancies
From 14 Industry vacancies on FSD in the same role family that publish pay. Monthly, before deductions.
Prepare for the interview
Questions commonly asked for R&D / New Product Development roles. Practise answers with an example and a number.
- Take us through the stage-gate process you would follow for a new product, from brief to launch.
- How do you design a shelf-life study, and which parameters would you track for a bakery or snack product?
- How would you reduce sugar or sodium in a product without losing consumer acceptance?
- Which sensory tests would you use to compare a reformulation against the current product, and why?
- How do you check that a new ingredient is permitted and at what level under FSSAI regulations?
- Tell us about a formulation problem you solved in the lab or pilot plant.
Before you apply
- Read the original notice end to endDates, eligibility and the application route are decided by the employer, not by FSD.
- Tailor your resume to this vacancyMatch the keywords in the requirements. Resume Studio shows what is missing.
- Write a short cover noteTwo or three lines on your most relevant plant, lab or project result, with a number.
- Be ready to talk numbersCurrent CTC, expected CTC and notice period are usually asked in the first call.
Source & editorial check
Send CV and cover letter to Lakshmi.vikram@pakka.com.
Original posting: 2026-11-02
Checked 2026-11-07 · Updated 2026-11-07
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