Commercial Operations Manager

 About the Role

Reporting to the Commercial Director you will provide front line support to the Refresco UK sales team with responsibility for designated customer projects and indirect responsibility for supporting sustained and profitable customer growth, forging stronger customer relationships and ensuring optimum performance of NPD from idea creation to factory launch. You are a vital link between the Commercial and Demand and Supply Chain teams. 

The key tasks in this role are:

- Managing major customer projects cross functionally;
- Owning customer communication for major project updates;
- Visiting key customer account head offices with the National Account Controller or Manager to present project updates;
- Supporting specific customer processes and new product innovation and development;
- Leading the co-ordination and development of multi-national projects e.g. cans from Benelux, mixers from Spain;
- Taking responsibility for key customer forecasts and supporting the alignment of production plans to deliver improved customer service;
- Chairing Gate Review meetings;
- Attending key S&OP meetings;
- Supporting Customer Account Executives to manage supply issues with direct customer liaison;
- Supporting National Account Controllers to ensure all tender deadlines are met;
- Owning the NPD process from idea creation/input to factory launch; 
- Taking an active role in supporting the creation of innovation and NPD by working with Account Manager/Controller and Category team.

About You

You have strong commercial sales or supply chain experience in a blue chip FMCG food and drinks industry organisation. This is a role with a constant and high degree of cross functional co-ordination with both internal and external customers. Your verbal and written communication, influencing and relationship building skills are of course excellent. 
You have very strong commercial awareness and you will need to take a highly organised and systematic approach to your work which includes detail project management and tracking. You will need to have demonstrable experience in project management backed by good IT and systems skills.
A positive can-do attitude enables you to exploit business opportunities for our customers.
You will have a proven track record of contributing towards sustainable customer growth and an understanding of the retailer private label new product development cycle and a good understanding of the UK grocery market in general.

About Us

Our drinks on every table. That's our vision. So, yes, it's safe to say we're ambitious. We're thirsty for more, constantly looking to the future. To new products, new services, new markets, new customers. Here in the UK, we're well on track to produce one billion litres through our plant annually. Overseas? We already have 30 factories in 10 countries – and we're actively looking to expand our operation.
Refresco is the leading European bottler of soft drinks and fruit juices for retailers and branded customers with production in Benelux, France, Germany, Iberia, Italy, the UK, Poland and Finland. In 2015 the company realized full year volumes and revenue of circa 6.1 billion litres and circa EUR 2.0 billion, respectively. Refresco offers an extensive range of product and packaging combinations from 100% fruit juices to carbonated soft drinks and mineral waters in carton, PET, Aseptic PET, cans and glass. Focused on innovation, Refresco continuously searches for new and alternative ways to improve the quality of its product and packaging combinations in line with consumer and customer demand, environmental responsibilities and market demand. Refresco is headquartered in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and employs circa 4,100 staff.

Salary and Package

Circa £35 k per annum dependent on experience and achievement, plus generous company pension and annual bonus incentive.