Packaging Manager - FTC

itsu; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

Company Pension Scheme

Hybrid Working

Employee discount 50%

Free lunch every day

Discounts at major retailers

Salary sacrifice cycle and EV schemes

Development & Growth opportunities

25 days holiday + bank holidays

Job summary

itsu is seeking a Packaging Manager to ensure packaging is functional, sustainable, and attractive. You’ll collaborate with the Product Development team, lead supplier selection, and manage packaging fees reporting while driving a sustainability agenda to reduce costs.

You’ll manage relationships with retailers, review portfolios for improvements, and support cost-engineering with procurement to keep packaging commercially efficient.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3-5 years’ experience in packaging management / development within FMCG.
• Strong understanding of packaging legislation and fees.
• Line management experience preferred.
• Strong stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration.
• Excellent organisational skills under pressure and tight deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Supports Product development on packaging in NPD/EPD projects.
• Ensure packaging meets functional, commercial and technical standards.
• Lead and develop packaging sustainability strategy.
• Deliver PRN, EPR, Plastic Tax submissions for UK and international markets.
• Maintain packaging master data with high accuracy.
• Anticipate changes in legislation affecting reporting and fees.
• Build relationships with current and prospective packaging suppliers.

Skills

Packaging management

Supplier relationship management

Stakeholder management

NPD packaging

Job description

About Us

At

About Us

At itsu, we're passionate about making healthy eating exciting, accessible, and affordable. As an Asian-inspired food brand, we've grown to over 70 stores across the UK, while building a thriving grocery business that reaches customers across Europe and beyond. Known for our fresh, high-quality food prepared daily in every shop, we're on an ambitious growth journey. With plans to expand our store estate, accelerate our grocery presence, and continue investing in innovation, technology, and our people, we're shaping the future of healthy fast food. itsu [ grocery ], where this role sits, extends the much-loved itsu brand beyond our shops and into supermarkets, health food retailers, online channels, wholesale partners, and international markets. Our growing product range includes customer favourites such as crispy seaweed thins, frozen gyoza and bao, brilliant'broth, rice'noodles, and miso'easy, bringing the taste and quality of itsu into homes around the world. Joining itsu means becoming part of a fast-paced, innovative business with big ambitions, a strong culture, and a shared mission to help people eat beautifully every day.

About The Role

As a Packaging Manager you are to ensure our packaging is functional, sustainable and, above all, beautiful. You will work very closely with our Product Development team, leading on supplier selection and ensuring the developers’ vision for packaging is briefed to suppliers accurately. You will also be responsible for our packaging fees reporting and working to deliver the packaging strategy to improve our sustainability to ultimately reduce the fees.

• Manage external relationships with our retailers to ensure our packaging strategy and guidelines meet their current and future requirements
• Proactive review of current portfolio to identify improvements to packaging design and sustainability
• Support cross-functional cost-engineering reviews and works closely with procurement to ensure our packaging is commercially efficient

Key Role Responsibilities

• Supports the Product development team on packaging section of NPD and EPD projects
• Ensure our packaging meets the functional, commercial and technical standards required
• Lead and develop our packaging sustainability strategy
• Deliver our PRN, EPR, Plastic Tax submissions for UK and International markets
• Maintain our packaging master data with high level of accuracy
• Consider future legislation changes that could impact our reporting and fee requirements in UK and internationally
• Build strong relationships with current and prospective packaging suppliers

The Ideal Candidate Will Have

• Minimum 3-5 year’s experience in a packaging management / development role within FMCG
• Strong understanding of packaging legislation and associated packaging fees
• Line management experience preferred
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate cross-functionally
• Great organisational skills with the ability to work under pressure, meet deadlines, and manage multiple tasks
• Proven record of great supplier relationship management
• Accuracy to detail and strong numeracy
• An open-minded approach to the role and a flexible, can-do, friendly attitude. Our business is constantly changing.

What We Offer

• Competitive Salary
• Competitive Bonus Scheme
• 25 days holiday + Bank holidays (two bank holidays are interchangeable for other religious holidays)
• Health Insurance
• Company Pension Scheme
• Hybrid Working module: This can vary by department, with some operating on a 3-day onsite/2-day WFH model and others on a 4-day onsite/1-day WFH. Opportunity to work from abroad 2 weeks of the year.
• 50% employeediscount in itsu shops
• Free itsu lunch EVERY DAY !
• Discounts at major retailers
• Salary sacrifice cycle and electric vehicle schemes
• Development & Growth opportunities

At itsu [grocery], everyone’s taste matters- and so does who’s behind it. We celebrate diversity and are an equal opportunities employer. Applications from all backgrounds are encouraged. If you need support or adjustments to apply, we’ll happily accommodate.