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Clayton Short

@claytonshort

Technical Manager driving innovative, sustainable packaging through project management, process engineering, and quality leadership.

United States

Message

What I'm looking for

I’m eager to leverage my skills and experience to advance engineering excellence, optimize processes, and foster organizational growth through customer-focused, cross-functional delivery.

I’m a results-driven Technical Manager leading a high-performing product development team at American Packaging Corporation. I lead a team of 9, spearhead profit improvement and process optimization, and deliver customer-focused presentations to expand business and resolve quality challenges.

Earlier as a Product Development Engineer, I onboarded $75M in new business and led plant trials to validate packaging solutions. I also bring hands-on experience across process metallurgist work, laboratory operations, specification development, and active participation in Food Safety and ISO audits—always with a focus on sustainable outcomes and continuous improvement.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Technical Manager

Current

American Packaging Corp.

Mar 2022 - Present (4 years 4 months)

Lead a team of 9 in product development, driving profit improvement initiatives and process optimization. Manage customer-facing presentations, cross-functional onboarding projects, ERP transition, and participation in Food Safety and ISO audits, including AI use-case exploration.

Project Management Risk Management Team Management Process Optimization Quality Assurance Food Safety Auditing ERP Implementation Cross functional Leadership Customer Relations AI Use Cases laboratory operations

Product Development Engineer

American Packaging Corp.

Aug 2016 - Mar 2022 (5 years 7 months)

Onboarded $75M in new business and led plant trials at APC and customer sites to validate packaging solutions. Developed packaging specifications balancing customer requirements with manufacturing capabilities for fresh produce, frozen foods, and confectionery.

Product Development Packaging Engineering Customer Relations Frozen Food Confectionery Packaging Cost Optimization

Process Metallurgist

Advanced Heat Treat Corp.

Jun 2015 - Aug 2016 (1 year 2 months)

Reviewed contracts and designed heat treatment processes for incoming parts while managing metallurgical laboratory operations and technician teams. Ensured timely product turnaround and supported failure analysis, quality audits, and specification reviews to maintain customer satisfaction.

Metallurgy Failure Analysis Contract Review Audit Support Specification Review