Group Packaging Development Manager

We have a new opportunity to join The Compleat Food Group as a Group Packaging Development Manager, overseeing our branded and own label products to ensure they have the most sustainable, innovative and commercially viable food packaging!

At The Compleat Food Group, we’re proud to be a food business built on purpose and passion. Formed in 2021, we’re on a mission to create Food to Feel Good – great quality, tasty and affordable food that people love to eat.

We’re home to some of the UK’s most exciting and loved food brands, including

Wall’s Pastry, Pork Farms, Wrights, The Real Yorkshire Pudding Co., unearthed, Vadasz, Squeaky Bean, Palace Culture, and Harvey & Brockless. Alongside our branded portfolio, we’re a leading supplier of delicious own-label pastry, sweet bakery, party food, olives and antipasti, added-value egg products, continental meats, dips and sauces and plant-based food to the UK’s major retailers, as well as across food service.

With over 6,000 talented colleagues across 17 sites, and an annual turnover of £1.3bn, we’re united by a shared ambition to shape the future of food for the better.

Hybrid working with regular travel to Crewe, Nottingham and Market Drayton. Location base flexible ideally West Midlands area.

Monday – Thursday, 8:30 – 17:00, Friday, 8:30 – 16:00

12 month FTC – Maternity Cover

• Lead the packaging format and material selection, manufacturing feasibility, trialling and testing of new or re-developed packaging.
• Supporting the integration of packaging throughout New Product Development process from concept through to launch
• Sharing packaging innovations with brand managers and working closely with relevant business divisions to ensure packaging is optimised
• Justify material selection to internal and external stakeholders, working across all possible food-grade packaging materials
• Ensuring material selection is suitable for the application, with product safety and integrity as the priority
• Support packaging development for new formats, liaising with suppliers and developing new cutter guides
• Responsible for the packaging development elements of any critical paths requiring new or re-developed packaging
• Lead the packaging innovation agenda and regularly meet suppliers to track emerging technologies
• Packaging data management responsibility working closely with specification managers to ensure specification accuracy, whilst developing and maintaining materials tracker
• Working closely with site teams to ensure factory knowledge is developed and maintained
• People management responsibility for a small team

• Relevant strong experience in a food-contact packaging-related role, specifying materials such as Flexible Plastic, Rigid Plastic, Carton board, Corrugate or Aluminium
• Understanding of industry bodies and compliance schemes e.g. FSC/PEFC, OPRL, Plastic Packaging Tax, EPR, WRAP etc
• Good technical background both in material technology and the requirements to launch new packaging in a business
• Experience working with retailer customers

• Planning, organisation and project management
• Communicating at different levels of seniority
• High attention to detail
• Identifying solutions
• Good IT skills including Excel
• Driving licence essential

• A passion for the food industry
• Enthusiasm to learn and grow

At The Compleat Food Group
, we believe our people are the heart of our success. That’s why we offer a wide range of benefits designed to support your lifestyle, wellbeing, and career growth:

• Salary Sacrifice Schemes – including Electric Vehicles, Home & Tech, Cycle to Work, and SMART Pension
• 33 days’ annual leave (including bank holidays) with the…