Position Summary

Job Responsibilities 

The Director of the School of Packaging provides facilitative leadership to the School in all teaching, research, and outreach programs and is expected to maintain and enhance a creative and productive environment for faculty, staff, and students.  The Director serves as the principal representative of the School with authority and responsibility for administrative decisions.  The Director reports directly to the Associate Provost and Dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and interacts with the leadership of other disciplinary units on campus. 

Key responsibilities of the Director include: 

Provide transformational leadership while sustaining an environment of high performance, scholarship, and innovation to meet societal, scientific, and industry needs, and promote national and international prominence of the School; 

Collaborate with faculty, academic partners, industry and alumni to identify existing and emerging global opportunities and develop strategic short- and long-term plans for school’s enhancement; 

Recruit outstanding diverse faculty, staff, and students, assign responsibilities, evaluate performance, and promote faculty, student, and staff development; 

Execute exemplary leadership philosophy to instill a sense of community wherein each member will thrive by fostering a culture of inclusion, creativity, collaboration, achievement, and mentoring; 

Manage and enhance fiscal, physical, and human resources to meet unit goals and objectives; 

The Director will leverage their career experiences to enhance the ongoing capital campaign to create funding opportunities for new faculty to join the School and update the School’s teaching and research facilities under the Packaging 2.0 expansion initiative; 

Create, foster, and enhance current and new stakeholder relationships, including alumni, industry, governmental agencies, NGOs around the world, as well as disciplinary and interdisciplinary groups, to continue to advance the mission and vision of the school; 

Effectively communicate with media about issues relevant to the packaging industry and market the importance of packaging education and research programs to stakeholders.  

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.

Required Degree

Doctorate -Packaging, Engineering, Food Science, Business

Minimum Requirements

A doctorate in packaging or a closely related discipline (e.g., engineering, material science, natural sciences, food science, business, or education)

Desired Qualifications

Required Application Materials

Applicants for the position of Director are requested to submit:

1) a cover letter outlining your interest in the position and your motivation to lead the SoP, highlighting your relevant experience, leadership philosophy, and commitment to inclusive decision-making

2) an up-to-date CV

3) a one-page statement that describes of how you will contribute to CANR’s positive culture, fair access to resources, and creating a sense of belonging

4) ) a one-page statement that describes your strategic approach to leading the SoP for the next five years including your leadership philosophy

5) names and contact information of three references who are familiar with your work, experience and leadership skills. 

Special Instructions

Review of the applications will begin October 20, 2025, and the search will remain open until the position is filled.  The position is a full-time, 12-month appointment.  The expected start date is March 2026 or as negotiated. 

For more information on this position, please contact the Search Committee Co-Chairs: 

Rafael Auras, Ph.D. (he/him/his) 

Professor, Amcor Endowed Chair in Packaging Sustainability 

School of Packaging 

Michigan State University 

448 Wilson Rd. Room 157, East Lansing, MI, USA, 48824 

O: (517) 432-3254 |?aurasraf@msu.edu 

Jun-Hyun Kim, Ph.D., ASLA (he/him/his) 

Professor and Director 

School of Planning, Design & Construction 

Michigan State University 

552 W Circle Dr., Rm 101B, East Lansing, MI 48824 

O: (517) 432-0704 |?junhkim@msu.edu 

Review of Applications Begins On

10/20/2025

Website

www.packaging.msu.edu

Department Statement

Packaging, the third-largest global industry, is expected to reach $1.42 trillion by 2028.  The impact of this market on the global economy continues to demand highly trained professionals and scientific research that produce innovative and sustainable solutions to support economic growth worldwide.  The School of Packaging (SoP) at Michigan State University (MSU), rated #1 by College Factual in 2025, has been creating knowledge and awarding degrees in the science and technology of packaging since 1952.  As the pioneer of the packaging discipline and the sole packaging Ph.D. degree-granting institution in the United States, the MSU SoP has been preparing educational leaders for the packaging discipline worldwide, resulting in an uncontestable reputation and the creation of a community for excellent research and education for all.  Packaging is an interdisciplinary field integrating science, engineering, technology, and management to protect and identify products for distribution, storage, sale, and use. It encompasses the process of design, evaluation, and production of packages.  It is a system integral to the value chain that impacts product quality, user satisfaction, distribution efficiencies, and safety.  The MSU SoP, through its educational, research, and outreach programs, contributes to the economic development and quality of life of citizens within the State of Michigan and globally through highly relevant educational experiences and cutting-edge research.  Looking ahead, the School plans to strategically invest in growth by adding faculty and beginning to draw on the approved Century Bond funding to support key academic and infrastructure initiatives. To continue leading the packaging industry and academic fields, the MSU SoP invites applications and nominations for the position of Director. 

MSU Statement

Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 160 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery and forges enduring partnerships to solve the most pressing global challenges while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.

About Michigan State University

Spartans work every day to advance the common good in uncommon ways.Together, we tackle some of the world?s toughest problems to find solutions that make life better?from alternative energy to better food safety to breakthrough medical and environmental applications achieved through rare isotope research.We teach. We explore and we discover. We collaborate and lead. We innovate, inspire, and empower. We achieve our potential and create circumstances that help our students and others achieve theirs.We're good at it, and we've been at it for more than 150 years.The nation?s pioneer land-grant university, MSU began as a bold experiment that democratized higher education and helped bring science and innovation into everyday life. The revolutionary concept became a model for the nation.Today, MSU is one of the top research universities in the world?on one of the biggest, greenest campuses in the nation. Home to nationally ranked and recognized academic, residential college, and service-learning programs, we?re a diverse community of dedicated students and scholars, athletes and artists, scientists and leaders.In ways both practical and profound, we work to create a stronger, more sustainable, and more hopeful future for all.

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