Senior Manager, Strategy & Planning

Costa; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Share Investment Plan

Annual discretionary bonus

Smart pension with 10% match

Costa Financial Support Fund

50% discount in Costa stores

Private medical cover

Job summary

Costa Coffee is seeking a Senior Manager, Strategy & Planning to turn strategic choices into a connected planning rhythm. You will own multi‑horizon portfolio visibility, drive closed‑loop performance discipline, and align cross‑functional partners across the business.

You will partner with senior leaders in CMO, Supply Chain, Commercial, Finance and Insights to strengthen execution, translate group strategy into platform roadmaps, and shape the horizon‑to‑action pipeline in a fast‑paced, global

Qualifications

• Experience running integrated / End-to-End planning cycles (LRP/ABP or equivalent).
• Commercial awareness in CPG/FMCG, retail or foodservice dynamics.
• Ability to translate market context into planning implications.
• Advanced Excel and portfolio tooling, strong narrative writing and presentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Operate the integrated planning cadence from LRP to ABP, coordinating cross-functional inputs.
• Maintain the live 18–36 month portfolio dashboard as the single source of truth.
• Translate Group strategy into sequenced, time-bound platform roadmaps with clear ownership.
• Own the assumption register and flag divergences early with Finance and Insights.
• Systematise trend-scanning with Insights and CMO to feed pre-Gate 0 triage.

Skills

Integrated planning

LRP/ABP cycles

Portfolio visibility

Stakeholder management

Excel & portfolio tools

Tools

Excel

Portfolio dashboards

Job description

At Costa Coffee, we’re on a mission to reimagine coffee experiences across the globe. From bustling cities to local communities, we’re creating meaningful coffee moments, powered by innovation and driven by purpose.

As a proud part of the Coca-Cola system and working hand in hand with our pioneering partners, we’re in over 50 countries and counting. Whether it’s served in-store, from a machine, at home, or on the go, every cup is thoughtfully crafted by our passionate teams who put heart into every moment.

Our teams truly make a difference. Whether it’s pioneering new tech for the perfect pour, launching award-winning campaigns, developing exciting new menu items, or supporting our people to grow – together, we stir up success.

This new role within Group Strategy is the operational engine of the Strategic Planning workstream, turning strategic choices into a connected planning rhythm and decision‑ready outputs. It owns multi‑horizon portfolio visibility, drives closed‑loop performance discipline, and systematises how external signals feed early‑stage innovation. Sitting at the centre of cross‑functional engagement, it partners with senior leaders across CMO, Supply Chain, Commercial, Finance and Insights to strengthen the organisation’s strategic execution muscle.

We value curiosity, inclusivity, and a problem-solving mindset. If you thrive in a fast‑paced, global environment and are excited to make a meaningful impact, we encourage you to apply.

With inspiring experiences, development programmes, and our apprenticeship scheme, your career can grow far beyond the day‑to‑day.

What you’ll do:

Being a Senior Manager, Strategy & Planning is about so much more than bringing our coffee to the world. It’s your chance to stir up real success – which means you will:

• Operate the integrated planning cadence. Run the LRP‑to‑ABP cycle end‑to‑end, coordinate cross‑functional inputs, and deliver consistent, decision‑ready outputs to senior leadership.
• Build multi‑horizon portfolio visibility. Maintain the live 18–36‑month portfolio dashboard as the single source of truth, surfacing risks and trade‑offs early.
• Translate Group strategy into platform roadmaps. Convert strategic choices into sequenced, time‑bound platform plans with clear ownership and long‑lead enabler triggers.
• Track strategic assumptions and breakpoints. Own the assumption register, define thresholds with Finance and Insights, and flag divergence early enough to act before performance shifts.
• Establish the horizon‑to‑action pipeline. Systematise trend‑scanning with Insights and CMO so external signals feed pre‑Gate 0 triage in time to shape the planning cycle..

Who you are:

It’s your unique ingredients we’re interested in:

• Strategic planning expertise. Proven experience running integrated / End to End planning cycles (LRP/ABP or equivalent) in a multi‑function organisation.
• Commercial and category awareness. Strong understanding of CPG / FMCG, retail or foodservice dynamics, with the ability to translate market context into planning implications.
• Process design capability. Skilled at designing or evolving planning processes, frameworks and playbooks; comfortable creating new standards from scratch.
• Analytical and communication strength. Advanced Excel and portfolio tooling capability, exceptional narrative writing and presentation skills, and the ability to surface risks and trade‑offs through structured analysis.
• Senior‑level credibility and collaboration. Articulate, detail‑driven and able to build durable cross‑functional partnerships, establishing trust quickly with VPs and senior leaders in a complex matrix environment..

So, why Costa?

We didn’t become a global coffee brand by sitting back. When you work here, you join a community that values passion, progression, and integrity—with some brilliant perks to sweeten the deal. We work in a hybrid environment, giving us the flexibility to balance life while still spending meaningful time together and building strong connections:

• Own a piece of Costa’s success by becoming a share owner in Coca-Cola with our Share Investment Plan (SIP)
• An annual discretionary bonus scheme, based on business results and individual contribution.
• A smart pension that saves you money on tax and national insurance, and matches your contributions up to 10%
• The Costa Financial Support Fund, supporting team members who find themselves in unexpected financial pressure
• 50% discount in all Costa-owned stores, and 25% off in other participating stores
• Private medical cover thanks to our Private Healthcare scheme
• And that’s not all. Explore even more of our perks here: https://bit.ly/costaperks

Location – Where you’ll work:

Right now, our Support Centre teams work flexibly, blending home working with in‑person time whenever it matters most – whether that’s a team moment, a creative session, or simply coming together to share ideas.

We’re excited to be moving into anew home for our brand in St Albans in January 2027 – an inspiring space from which our Support Centre teams will work three days a week to connect and collaborate in‑person to bring our bold ambition to life.

For any reasonable adjustments and general queries, please get in touch with [e-mail]

Reimagining coffee experiences to make a difference

We’ve been changing the coffee game since day one. Founded by two pioneering brothers back in 1971, that innovative spirit (and love for great coffee) lives on in our cups, communities and Costaristas all over the world. And there’s never been a better time to join us.

“ I was surprised by how entrepreneurial Costa feels, especially in the R&D and technical spaces. There’s a real openness to new ideas and a willingness to invest in long‑term capability.”

“ Karolina KurekR&D Manager, Coffee Development