Packaging Manager, Dorset

Fox's Burton's Companies; East Horsley; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player in the biscuit manufacturing sector is seeking a proactive R&D Packaging Manager to lead innovative packaging solutions at their Dorset site. This role combines technical expertise with entrepreneurial thinking, focusing on sustainability and efficiency while ensuring compliance with quality standards. The successful candidate will collaborate with cross-functional teams, manage packaging trials, and drive best practices across the organization. Join a dynamic team that values creativity and teamwork in a supportive environment where your contributions will make a significant impact on the company's journey to becoming a market leader.

Benefits

Professional Development Opportunities

Inclusive Work Environment

Employee Discounts

Flexible Working Hours

Qualifications

• Strong background in packaging with a focus on innovation and sustainability.
• Excellent communication and project management skills required.

Responsibilities

• Lead bespoke packaging innovations and sustainability initiatives.
• Collaborate with teams to troubleshoot and optimize packaging performance.

Skills

Packaging Innovation

Sustainability Practices

Technical Troubleshooting

Project Management

Communication Skills

Teamwork

Business Acumen

Education

Degree in Packaging Technology or related field

Relevant certifications in Project Management

Tools

Packaging Materials

Project Management Software

Job description

We are FBC UK, Fox's Burton's Companies! ……And we bake the UK's most incredible biscuits (we might be slightly biased, but we will leave that for you to judge).

FBC UK was a match made in heaven, with two of the top UK biscuits manufacturers (Burton's Biscuits and Fox's Biscuits) coming together to create one unique, integrated company.

We are home to famous iconic brands, including Maryland, Fox's, Jammie Dodger & Rocky, to name just a few. We are proud manufacturing partners to some of the biggest UK retailers and household names. We bake our incredible biscuits at eight bakeries across the UK, located at Isle of Arran, Livingston, Blackpool, Llantarnam, Edinburgh, Kirkham, Batley & Dorset and our HQ in St Albans. Together, we employ circa 4,000 amazing colleagues across all our locations.

We are currently the second biscuit manufacturer in the UK market with a strong ambition of becoming UK Market Leader.

Whilst we know that we have delicious products we also know that the key ingredient to our success is our people, and the passion we have for our brands. You could be the jammy to our dodger, party ring to our Fox’s or the choc-chip to our Maryland?! We knead people with innovative ideas, an entrepreneurial spirit, and the commitment to drive FBC UK to success.

We are committed to building an inclusive workforce that feels empowered to build a fulfilling and successful career. By embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) we create a supportive environment for people to thrive and strive to have more positive impact.

We understand that having formal and on-the-job learning opportunities is key to our colleagues’ professional and personal growth. We are committed to providing an environment where everyone can learn from each other and grow through a variety of learning experiences.

Our colleagues make our business special. With strong community values, we believe FBC UK is a more prosperous and fun place to work when people feel free to be themselves. We believe in the power of being authentic, entrepreneurial and supporting each other whilst meeting our business goals.

About the Role

We are seeking a proactive R&D Packaging Manager to lead packaging innovation, sustainability, and industrialisation activities at our Dorset site.

This role blends technical expertise with entrepreneurial thinking to develop bespoke packaging solutions, support production with technical troubleshooting, and drive sustainability initiatives in alignment with company goals.

Reporting to the Head of Packaging, this position requires a dynamic individual to manage packaging development and trials, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and act as the site’s primary packaging contact. The successful candidate will champion knowledge-sharing across teams, ensure best practices, and drive visibility for packaging contributions at the site and beyond.

Main Responsibilities

1. Lead the development of bespoke packaging innovations tailored to our Dorset site’s unique needs, leveraging new materials, technologies, and trends.
2. Adopt and implement sustainable packaging solutions that align with company policies, reducing environmental impact while maintaining functionality and cost-efficiency.
3. Provide technical guidance on packaging materials and specifications, continually improving packaging performance and stability across the bakery.
4. Ensure Packaging Compliance, meeting quality, functionality, regulatory, and cost-effectiveness standards.
5. Plan, coordinate, and execute packaging trials on production lines, ensuring robust evaluations and seamless integration of new materials and formats.
6. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to troubleshoot technical issues and optimize packaging performance.
7. Ensure timely and accurate reporting of trial outcomes, including transit tests and scalability assessments, identifying any issues and troubleshooting where needed.
8. Regularly liaise with other Packaging Technologists to share insights, best practices, and innovations across the company.
9. Act as the key point of contact for packaging updates and changes at Dorset, ensuring alignment across stakeholders, advising on pallet configurations, and ensuring systems and departments are up to date with packaging changes and innovations.
10. Contribute to a culture of continuous improvement, ensuring the adoption of best-in-class practices and the exploration of emerging trends.
11. Build and maintain strong relationships with packaging suppliers and external agencies, staying updated on industry trends.

Key ingredients for the role:

• Excellent communication through all interactions/channels (meetings, presentations, daily updates).
• Project Management and accountability to ensure projects are delivered in time in full.
• Strong Packaging background to propose, challenge, enhance all our innovations and guide the implementation in our factories.
• Entrepreneurial Mindset, bringing a proactive, creative approach to problem-solving and innovation, driving bespoke solutions for the site.
• Business acumen to promote and challenge ideas understanding the full impact in the business.
• Technical curiosity to explore new trends, innovations, materials and push to take FBC to the next level.
• Remarkable Teamwork to liaise with peers and other functions, work together and support each other to elevate Packaging in the company.

Diversity Statement

FBC UK is committed to building a diverse and inclusive culture in which all employees feel welcomed and appreciated and have the same opportunities. We believe all of our people are equally talented in their own way. In nurturing the curiosity and natural abilities of our employees, we provide them, generation after generation, the means to succeed personally and professionally, enabling them to craft their journey at FBC UK. The diversity of our talents is what makes our work environment multicultural, innovative and highly rewarding.