Overview of role
Key Accountabilities
- Leading innovation, renovation and change projects from concept through to successful launch.
- Bringing together cross-functional teams across R&D, Technical, Operations, Supply Chain, Packaging and Commercial to deliver great outcomes.
- Creating and managing project plans, ensuring milestones, risks and dependencies are visible and effectively managed.
- Driving momentum by facilitating project meetings, removing barriers and keeping teams focused on priorities.
- Coordinating launch-critical activities, including product development, artwork, factory trials, technical approvals and first production runs.
- Using Microsoft 365, AI tools and digital workflows to improve collaboration, visibility and delivery.
- Providing clear project updates and recommendations to stakeholders, ensuring informed and timely decision-making.
- Balancing pace with effective governance, ensuring projects meet quality, food safety, regulatory and customer requirements.
The Right Person
• Proven project management experience within FMCG, food manufacturing, consumer goods or a closely related fast-paced operational environment.
• Strong knowledge of NPD/EPD delivery, stage and gate governance, launch planning, risk management and cross-functional project routines.
• Experience managing artwork, packaging, specifications, technical approval, customer samples, supplier lead times and factory trial milestones.
• Clear, confident communication with busy cross-functional teams, turning complexity into simple actions, decisions and next steps.
• Sound judgement to balance speed, cost, quality, service and risk in an FMCG food environment.
• Ability to cut through ambiguity, identify options and recommend practical solutions that keep projects moving.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to challenge constructively, escalate appropriately and influence without direct authority.
• Positive energy, resilience and pace, while staying calm and practical when timelines, priorities or project risks change.
• Confident using M365 tools to manage timelines, action trackers, risk registers, reporting packs and visibility of delivery.
Desirable (Not Essential):
• Experience working in a branded food business or with cereal, snacking, breakfast, grocery or retailer-led launch environments.
• Formal project management training or qualification would be helpful but is not essential.
We can offer....
- Competitive salary
- Pension Scheme – up to 10% employer contributions
- Hybrid & Flexible work culture
- Buy holiday scheme
- Discounted products
- Health Cash Plan
- Career opportunities - ABF group employs 128,000 employees worldwide.
- Discounts on over 900 retailers on our discount platform
- Group Cycle to work scheme
- Free Parking