Hiring for skilled engineering roles is tight, and sustainability sits right at the centre of the pressure. In 2025, 76% of engineering employers struggled to recruit for key roles, with technical and specialist sustainability skills topping the list Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). That matters for packaging circularity, because redesigning packaging to cut waste needs exactly those two skill sets at once: deep engineering know-how and a clear grasp of sustainable design.
So the demand is real and the supply is thin. For employers, that's not just a problem to manage. It's a chance to build a team around work that people want to do, on products that have to change anyway.
Circular packaging pulls together process, materials and design engineering, and the work is being reshaped by technology. Six in ten (59%) manufacturers cited automation and half (50%) cited wider digitalisation as trends changing jobs and skills needs, and 74% expect demand for cognitive and meta-cognitive skills to increase by 2030 Make UK – 2030 Skills: Closing the Gap. In plain terms, the roles of the future blend hands-on engineering with problem-solving, data and the ability to learn fast.
That blend is the heart of packaging circularity. An engineer here might redesign a pack for mono-material recycling one week and tune an automated line for a new substrate the next. The people who thrive are curious, adaptable and comfortable working across disciplines.
Start by deciding whether to build or buy the skills. Many firms are choosing to grow their own: 40% of manufacturers are looking to upskill their existing workforce, specifically for redeployment as a result of automation and digitalisation, a figure that rises for firms with more than 1,000 employees Make UK Executive Survey 2026. Upskilling existing engineers into circularity work is often faster than a cold external search, and it keeps hard-won process knowledge in the business.
When you do hire externally, write the role around outcomes, not just a job title. Name the sustainability challenge, the materials and the line, and screen for adaptability and problem-solving as much as for a specific certificate. With the market this competitive, a slow, unclear process loses good people. Move quickly and tell applicants what happens next.
When you need to hire from outside, we help you move at the pace the market demands. We search a database of 15 million candidates and manage your recruitment end to end, from a ranked shortlist through to a booked interview. Our recruitment agent manages recruitment end to end for 8% on a successful hire, with no monthly fee and no upfront cost. Tell us the role today with Reed.ai and we'll start matching people to it.
