We have ramped up our production at Milton Keynes working on behalf of one of the UK's largest energy drink brands. If you are innovating, good at implementing new product launches, and enhancing manufacturing processes this could be the role for you. As a Site Product Implementation Manager, you will play an integral part in ensuring we are agile in producing the best quality products for our clients in a timely and cost-effective manor.

Refresco UK is part of the Refresco Group a multi-national independent soft drinks manufacturer with 78 manufacturing sites across Europe, North America, and Australia in 15 countries.

In the UK we have 6 sites. We work with all the large UK supermarkets plus many well-known branded drinks producers.

Site Product Implementation Manager – Refresco, Milton Keynes

FMCG - NPD new co-pack products/packaging, product launches, value engineering

Permanent, Day shift Monday to Friday

Competitive salary, annual bonus, good company pension plus enhanced annual leave with the option to buy more.

What’s in it for you?:

• 10% Annual bonus
• 25 days annual leave + bank holidays
• Option to purchase additional holidays
• Good company pension
• Life assurance
• Employee referral scheme - earn a bonus for referring your friends or family
• GroceryAid – a support service offering financial, legal, wellbeing and practical support, advice and counselling
• Cheers – a benefits platform offering discounts, free perks, and well-being tools for all employees

About the Role

This is an exciting opportunity for a hands-on NPD, Quality or FMCG Process specialist to successfully implement some new product launches for Refresco, Milton Keynes. You will be working with the quality, technical, process, production, and management teams to successfully facilitate the new product launches. In addition, ensure that packaging and process changes are implemented in line with customer and industry standards.  You will need to liaise confidently, with both internal and external stakeholders.

Responsibilities as Site Product Implementation Manager also include (but are not limited to):

• Facilitate and manage the transfer of NPD and new co-pack products/Packaging into manufacturing and co-ordinate new product launches ensuring all launches meet food safety, legal and customer requirements.
• Implementation of process and packaging changes, ensure that all changes to processes are evaluated, risk assessed and documented.
• Completion of all product, process and packaging trails required are to a satisfactory standard with clear objectives and measurable success criteria, ensuring the operations team are engaged.
• Verification of new equipment, packaging or process, ensure that internal and external customer expectations are reviewed and where considered valid are built into Refresco protocols
• New Process Risk Assessments, ensure any changes have been risk assessed and Refresco operating instructions updated taking into account the changes
• HACCP for new process, equipment and packaging, ensure any new processes  have a validated HACCP in place
• Facilitate and manage the implementation of value engineering projects in to manufacturing
• Ensure existing equipment and process are re-validated in accordance with Refresco and customer standards.
• Facilitate the operations teams to ensure new and existing products / packaging formats can run efficiently meeting customer expectations for service level.
• Review of current processes and practice to drive continual quality improvement.
• Provide cover for site QA team members during periods of annual leave

About You

You will need excellent knowledge of food safety and HACCP, along with demonstrable operational experience gained within a fast-moving consumer goods environment, ideally within the drinks (or food) industry.

You will need the knowledge and experience in implementing new product launches with a passion for food & drink and improving quality systems.

A degree in a Science or Food Technology or experience in an influential Quality or Technical role will also be required.

At Refresco we highly value our 'Values' as we believe they are what has made us successful and will continue to make us successful. Find out more about our Values here:

https://www.refresco.co.uk/uk/about/our-values

About Refresco:

Refresco is the global independent beverage solutions provider for Global, National and Emerging brands, and retailers with production in Europe, North America, and Australia. Refresco offers an extensive range of product and packaging combinations from juices to carbonated soft drinks and mineral waters in carton, PET, Aseptic PET, cans, and glass. Refresco continuously searches for new and alternative ways to improve the quality of its products and packaging combinations in line with consumer and customer demand, environmental responsibilities, and market demand.

Refresco is headquartered in Rotterdam, the Netherlands and has more than 13,500 employees. www.refresco.com.

Our drinks on every table. That's the Refresco vision. We’re a global business and currently produce 12 billion litres of soft drinks from 64 manufacturing plants in 12 countries and we’re only just getting started.

We’re the proud owners of six drinks manufacturing sites within the UK. Our UK business provides a great place to work for over 1,800 employees, who produce private label soft drinks and fruit juices for all the leading retailers.

Whether it’s packed in cartons, bottles or cans, we ensure that our products are made to the highest quality standards. Our products get where they need to be when they need to get there to meet the needs of our high-profile customers.

Please click on the link for more details about our site at Milton Keynes and what we do: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWQUT72RD1M

Refresco believes that equal opportunity for all is fundamental to our company's values and all our applicants can expect fairness and transparency in our recruitment process.

#LI-GK1 – NPD Implementation Manager