Lab Manager

Refresco; Bridgwater; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 66,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Holiday allowance 28 days

Extra holiday purchase

Life assurance

Virtual GP

Benefits platform

Grocery Aid

Job summary

Refresco in Bridgwater is seeking a Lab Manager to lead the on-site laboratory to the highest industry standards. You will manage a team of 10 quality analysts, overseeing daily lab operations and ISO17025-based testing to ensure the finest quality for beverages.

The role covers calibration, budget management, procurement, documentation, and training, with a strong focus on safety and data reporting for internal and external stakeholders.

Qualifications

• At least two years in a quality-focused food production role or three years in a laboratory environment.
• Experience leading a lab team and administering quality systems (CAPAs, audits, NCs).

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily lab operations to ensure timely, compliant testing.
• Lead calibration, servicing, and validation of equipment; ensure quick repairs and minimal downtime.
• Manage lab budget, procurement and stock control to support the factory.
• Ensure testing, documentation and raw material checks meet regulatory standards.
• Develop and maintain training, SOPs, risk assessments, and data reporting for stakeholders.
• Foster a safe, proactive team culture focused on quality and efficiency.

Skills

Team leadership

Lab operations

Quality assurance

Problem-solving

Tools

ISO17025

Job description

We’re Refresco – the world’s largest independent bottler of soft drinks and fruit juices, serving major brands and retailers across Europe and North America. At our flagship Bridgwater site, we produce millions of litres of beverages each week, and we’re looking for a Lab Manager to lead our on‑site laboratory to the highest industry standards.

This is not your average quality role. It’s a unique opportunity to shape, influence, and drive quality systems and lab operations on a massive scale, while ensuring compliance, performance, and continuous improvement.

Lab Manager

Permanent

Refresco - Bridgwater

Monday – Friday 38 hours

Benefits:

• 10% annual bonus
• An enhanced holiday allowance of 28 days plus bank holidays
• Purchase extra holiday (up to 3 days per year)
• Life assurance
• Access to a 24/7 virtual GP for you and your family
• Access to our brand new employee benefits platform offering discounts, cashback rewards, and access to more optional benefits
• Access to Grocery Aid – for free financial, personal, health and wellbeing support

The role:

Managing a team of 10 quality analysts to support the factory’s testing requirements, ensuring the highest quality standards are met.

• Oversee the smooth running of daily lab operations, ensuring timely, compliant testing in line with LabCRED (ISO17025-based) standards.
• Champion quality and continuous improvement by managing QMS activities (CAPAs, audits, NCs) and driving a strong quality culture.
• Lead equipment calibration, servicing, and validation methods while ensuring prompt repairs and minimal disruption.
• Manage the lab budget, procurement, and stock control to ensure full lab and factory support.
• Ensure all testing, documentation, and raw material checks meet regulatory and customer standards.
• Develop and maintain training plans, SOPs, risk assessments, and clear data reporting for internal and external stakeholders.
• Foster a positive, proactive team environment focused on safety, innovation, and efficiency.

About You

We’re looking for someone with at least two years of experience in a quality-focused food production role or three years in a laboratory environment. You’ll bring a positive, can-do attitude, strong problem‑solving skills, and the ability to thrive in a fast‑paced setting. Naturally curious and eager to learn, you’ll enjoy improving processes and exploring new ways of working. You’ll also be someone who brings people together, builds strong team relationships, and lives the Refresco values in everything you do.

Ultimately, we encourage everyone to role model our core values of agility, responsibility, passion, excellence, and entrepreneurship as we believe these are what has made Refresco successful so far.

Find out more about the Refresco Values here: https://www.refresco.co.uk/uk/about/our-values

About Refresco:

Refresco is the global independent beverage solutions provider for Global, National and Emerging brands, and retailers with production in Europe, North America, and Australia.

Refresco offers an extensive range of product and packaging combinations from juices to carbonated soft drinks and mineral waters in carton, PET, Aseptic PET, cans, and glass.

Refresco continuously searches for new and alternative ways to improve the quality of its products and packaging combinations in line with consumer and customer demand, environmental responsibilities, and market demand

Refresco is headquartered in Rotterdam, the Netherlands and has more than 13,500 employees. www.refresco.com.

Our drinks on every table. That's the Refresco vision. We’re a global business and currently produce 12 billion litres of soft drinks from 64 manufacturing plants in 12 countries and we’re only just getting started.

We’re the proud owners of six drinks manufacturing sites within the UK. Our UK business provides a great place to work for over 1,800 employees, who produce private label soft drinks and fruit juices for all the leading retailers.

Whether it’s packed in cartons, bottles or cans, we ensure that our products are made to the highest quality standards. Our products get where they need to be when they need to get there to meet the needs of our high‑profile customers.

Refresco believes that equal opportunity for all is fundamental to our company's values and all our applicants can expect fairness and transparency in our recruitment process.