Customer Delivery Manager - Manufacturing

Zendbox; East Malling; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private healthcare

Company pension

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Hybrid working

Performance bonus

Job summary

Zendlabs, a UK-based contract manufacturer, is seeking a Customer Delivery Manager to own every manufacturing project from order receipt to final delivery. You will coordinate Sales, Innovation, Procurement, Planning, Manufacturing, Quality, Regulatory, Packaging, Fulfilment and Finance to ensure OTIF and client satisfaction.

The role focuses on proactive customer communication, milestone management, and cross-functional governance.

Qualifications

• Minimum three years managing manufacturing or customer delivery projects.
• Experience within manufacturing, FMCG, food, nutraceuticals or contract manufacturing.
• Excellent organisational and stakeholder management skills.
• Commercial awareness and customer relationship management.

Responsibilities

• Own projects from Purchase Order through to customer delivery.
• Coordinate Sales, Innovation, Procurement, Planning, Manufacturing, Quality, Regulatory, Packaging, Fulfilment and Finance.
• Drive accountability and chase blockers to keep projects on track.
• Chair daily cross-functional project review meetings and review live projects, risks and priorities.

Skills

Project management

Stakeholder management

Commercial awareness

Customer relationship management

Job description

Zendlabs is one of the UK's fastest growing contract manufacturers specialising in sports nutrition, health & wellness, nutraceuticals and functional products. From concept through to formulation, procurement, manufacturing, packaging, fulfilment and delivery, we help ambitious brands bring innovative products to market quickly and successfully.

The Opportunity

You will own every customer manufacturing project from receipt of the Purchase Order through to final customer delivery. Acting as the single point of ownership, you will coordinate Sales, Innovation, Procurement, Planning, Manufacturing, Quality, Finance and Fulfilment to ensure every project is delivered On Time In Full (OTIF). You will proactively communicate with customers, remove blockers, drive accountability across departments and ensure customers always know the status of their projects.

Purpose of the Role

To successfully deliver every manufacturing project by coordinating internal stakeholders, managing stage gates, providing proactive customer communication and ensuring products are delivered safely, on time, in full and to specification.

Key Responsibilities

End-to-End Project Ownership

• Own projects from Purchase Order through to customer delivery.
• Manage timelines, milestones, risks and dependencies.
• Ensure projects remain on schedule and elevate risks early.

Customer Communication

• Be the customer's primary point of contact.
• Provide proactive progress updates and manage expectations.
• Communicate delays professionally with recovery plans.

Cross Functional Coordination

• Coordinate Sales, Innovation, Procurement, Planning, Manufacturing, Quality, Regulatory, Packaging, Fulfilment and Finance.
• Drive accountability and challenge missed deadlines.
• Chase deposits, proformas and payment approvals before manufacture.
• Work closely with Finance to resolve payment issues.

Systems & Reporting

• Maintain accurate updates in the ERP/project management system.
• Own the live project dashboard and reporting.
• Identify bottlenecks and recommend process improvements.
• Support automation and improved customer visibility.

Stage Gate Process

1. Commercial Handover

• Project created
• Credit approved

3. Product Approval

• Formula, specification, artwork and BOM approved

4. Procurement

• Ingredients and packaging ordered and received

5. Production Planning

• Resources allocated

6. Manufacturing

• Batch manufactured
• Production documentation complete

7. Quality Release

• Batch released
• Tracking issued

9. Customer Delivery

Daily Project Governance

• Chair daily cross-functional project review meetings.
• Review live projects, risks, procurement, manufacturing, OTIF performance and customer priorities.
• Agree actions, owners and deadlines.

Requirements

• Minimum three years managing manufacturing or customer delivery projects.
• Experience within manufacturing, FMCG, food, nutraceuticals or contract manufacturing.
• Excellent organisational and stakeholder management skills.
• Commercial awareness and customer relationship management.

Personal Attributes

• Customer obsessed Highly organised
• Proactive Commercially aware
• Collaborative Solutions focused
• Naturally accountable

Key Performance Indicators

• OTIF delivery
• Customer Satisfaction (CSAT/NPS)
• Project lead time
• Stage Gate compliance
• ERP accuracy
• Customer communication SLA
• Deposit collection before manufacture
• Manufacturing schedule adherence
• Reduction in project delays
• Competitive salary
• Performance bonus
• Private healthcare
• Company pension
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Hybrid working

Customer Delivery Manager - Manufacturing • Paddock Wood, Paddock Wood, GB