"The consumer is at the heart of what we do within the Dairy Crest R&D team and packaging innovation is fundamental to our brand growth. This is an exciting role offering the opportunity to develop a packaging innovation roadmap for one of the UK's biggest and best loved brands, Cathedral City. You will be part of a talented and dedicated packaging team who are committed to delivering short and long term innovation in the diary sector”

Neil Richards, Lead Packaging Manager - Cheese

Purpose of Job

• To plan, organise and deliver in conjunction with Lead Packaging Manager an innovation roadmap for Cathedral City and its sub brands with the objective of increasing profitable and commercial success for Dairy Crest.
• To identify and deliver the evaluation of technically and commercially viable new packaging innovation concepts to deliver new innovative cheese concepts to populate 3-5 year NPD Funnel for Cathedral City and other brands where appropriate.
• To ensure that the development activities allocated to the R&D Packaging Manager are conducted to our internal technical standards and within the budget allocated and delivered to required timescales.
• To identify packaging innovations, trends and opportunities for the Dairy Crest Cheese business (as part of the wider packaging strategy)
• To annually recruit manage and develop a University placement student in the role of assistant packaging technologist as part of our knowledge collaboration program with Harper Adams University

Nature & Scope of the Job

The R&D department is part of the business Demand sector and focuses on providing a cost effective technical support and new packaging, product and process development service to the Dairy Crest business.

• Maintain and support the R&D Innovation activities on cheese packaging to support the strategic requirements of the business and our internal Innovation process.
• Manage development concept from idea generation to approval of concept, ensuring key feasibility and technical evaluations are conducted.
• A high proportion of development briefs are abstract and require the creative skill, process and product knowledge and experience of the Packaging Manager to assist in their interpretation and then turn them into practical propositions suitable for production.
• Communication with the Marketing team to effectively promote ideas and gain feedback is then required to ensure the Marketing needs are accurately met.
• Excellent communication and project management skills are required to motivate and manage actual and virtual project teams to do things without line authority – across supply and demand.
• Experience and skill may be required to creatively overcome any difficulties encountered during development and initial pilot /production trials.
• Gaining procurement, operational, technical and marketing commitment to new and existing processes.
• Develop strong relationships and ways of working with relevant supply partners in the business
• Obtaining access to factory manufacturing equipment for trials, due to demands on regular manufacture.
• Engender a culture and working environment in which morale and motivation is maintained for the Assistant R&D Development Technologist reporting into this role.

Knowledge & Experience Required

• Examples of having delivered long term packaging innovation or having played a key role in building a packaging innovation pipeline
• A degree or similar qualification, preferably in Packaging Technology / Engineering or equivalent and at least 3-5 years’ experience in the Packaging industry.
• Excellent project management skills and experience of managing innovation projects.
• Competent knowledge of the packaging industry and NPD procedures and processes.
• The ability to communicate effectively at all levels both internally and externally.
• The ability to organise and motivate people to gain co-operation in the planning and conduct of the development process.
• The ability to be investigative, creative and innovative.
• Commercial awareness of the needs of the marketplace e.g. material costs, RSP etc.
• Computer Literate.
• Driving Licence.
• Effective team player.
• Manage and motivate Project Teams

Please click on the link to apply and change your life!