Finsbury Food
Hamilton, Lanarkshire
Posted Tuesday 16 September 2025 at 00:00 Location: Hamilton Shift: Weekdays Salary: Competitive with Opportunity for Growth We have an opportunity for a Group Packaging Innovation Manager to join our Development team in Hamilton. Finsbury Food Group is a leading speciality bakery manufacturer. We constantly raise quality and efficiency standards, and build long term relationships with major multiple retailers and the foodservice channel. The bread for your morning toast, ready for butter spreading or egg dipping. The candle filled centerpiece for a memorable celebration. The buns, muffins and other treats that turn teatime into quality time. We make a large percentage of the UK's sharing cakes from retailer own brands cakes, tray bakes through to party cakes like Caterpillar cakes This is what we do, and why we're in business. Baking brilliance makes every day special. The Group Packaging Innovation Manager will lead and support the innovation and development of food packaging solutions across all business units within the group. They will be responsible for researching new materials, technologies, and concepts, ensuring packaging delivers on functionality, safety, compliance, sustainability, and brand identity. This role will drive innovative, consumer centric packaging solutions that enhance product appeal, support sustainability goals, and promote forward thinking design across the organisation. This is a fast paced role, where the successful candidate will have a Degree in Packaging Technology, Materials Science, Food Science, Engineering, or a related field. They should ideally have 3-5+ years' experience in a packaging development or packaging technology role, ideally within the food sector, they will also have solid knowledge of packaging materials used in food applications (e.g., films/flexibles, paperboard, rigid plastics, barrier materials, MAP, etc.). This role is based in Hamilton, with regular travel to visit other group sites (Cardiff, Salisbury, Manchester, Sheffield) and suppliers. This is a great opportunity for someone to gain experience with one of the UK's largest bakery businesses. They'll work closely with a friendly and engaging team from both a site and group perspective, offering opportunities for growth and long term career development. This is what you'll actually do! As the Group Packaging Innovation Manager they will lead the research and development of innovative food packaging solutions, identifying opportunities to improve functionality, reduce environmental impact, and enhance the consumer experience. They will explore and evaluate new materials, technologies, and formats by working closely with suppliers, start ups, and innovation partners - including feasibility assessments, prototyping, and testing. They will also conduct horizon scanning to monitor trends in packaging, sustainability, consumer behaviour, and regulatory developments - sharing relevant insights with Category Leadership Teams (CLTs) and other relevant key stakeholders. They will translate consumer, brand, and commercial insights into packaging concepts, working cross functionally with Development, Marketing, R&D, Operations, Technical, SHE, and Procurement to ensure viability and alignment. As well as develop and implement a packaging benchmarking strategy to evaluate industry trends, identify best practices, and inform future innovation and design decisions. They will lead packaging development projects from concept through to launch, ensuring effective stakeholder engagement and timely delivery. Ideally this is you! Degree in Packaging Technology, Materials Science, Food Science, Engineering, or a related field. 3-5+ years' experience in a packaging development or packaging technology role, ideally within the food sector. Solid knowledge of packaging materials used in food applications (e.g., films/flexibles, paperboard, rigid plastics, barrier materials, MAP, etc.). Understanding of food safety, hygiene, and regulatory compliance in relation to packaging (e.g., EPR, PPT, BRCGS, Food Contact Materials Regulations). Experience working with packaging lines and machinery in production environments. Excellent project management, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills. Able to communicate effectively at multiple levels inside and outside the organisation both verbally and in writing. Influencing skills essential to ensure projects delivered at pace. What's in it for you? Enhanced Maternity & Paternity Leave to allow quality time with your new arrival! Enhanced Pension Scheme for our employees Free Employee Assistance Programme (open to colleagues and their families) Retail discounts accessible via our Benefits Hub platform! Company shop available at sites (heavily discounted, yummy products!) Refer a Friend Scheme (up to £300 per referral - t&cs dependent) Employee Recognition Awards Extensive Learning & Development opportunities (including opportunities for sponsored professional memberships and our own in house development course!) An opportunity to be part of a fantastic, growing organisation. Head over to our LinkedIn page to find out more! Our vision is to be the leading specialty bakery group in the UK and we want the best people in place to achieve this. Our continued success is built entirely on the talented people who work here, so employee development is important to us because everyone is a valued member of the team, and we want every individual to have the skills and capabilities to achieve both your own personal goals and our business goals. We want good people to join our company, to help our company continue to go from strength to strength. If this sounds like you, please get in contact to learn more!
Posted Tuesday 16 September 2025 at 00:00 Location: Hamilton Shift: Weekdays Salary: Competitive with Opportunity for Growth We have an opportunity for a Group Packaging Innovation Manager to join our Development team in Hamilton. Finsbury Food Group is a leading speciality bakery manufacturer. We constantly raise quality and efficiency standards, and build long term relationships with major multiple retailers and the foodservice channel. The bread for your morning toast, ready for butter spreading or egg dipping. The candle filled centerpiece for a memorable celebration. The buns, muffins and other treats that turn teatime into quality time. We make a large percentage of the UK's sharing cakes from retailer own brands cakes, tray bakes through to party cakes like Caterpillar cakes This is what we do, and why we're in business. Baking brilliance makes every day special. The Group Packaging Innovation Manager will lead and support the innovation and development of food packaging solutions across all business units within the group. They will be responsible for researching new materials, technologies, and concepts, ensuring packaging delivers on functionality, safety, compliance, sustainability, and brand identity. This role will drive innovative, consumer centric packaging solutions that enhance product appeal, support sustainability goals, and promote forward thinking design across the organisation. This is a fast paced role, where the successful candidate will have a Degree in Packaging Technology, Materials Science, Food Science, Engineering, or a related field. They should ideally have 3-5+ years' experience in a packaging development or packaging technology role, ideally within the food sector, they will also have solid knowledge of packaging materials used in food applications (e.g., films/flexibles, paperboard, rigid plastics, barrier materials, MAP, etc.). This role is based in Hamilton, with regular travel to visit other group sites (Cardiff, Salisbury, Manchester, Sheffield) and suppliers. This is a great opportunity for someone to gain experience with one of the UK's largest bakery businesses. They'll work closely with a friendly and engaging team from both a site and group perspective, offering opportunities for growth and long term career development. This is what you'll actually do! As the Group Packaging Innovation Manager they will lead the research and development of innovative food packaging solutions, identifying opportunities to improve functionality, reduce environmental impact, and enhance the consumer experience. They will explore and evaluate new materials, technologies, and formats by working closely with suppliers, start ups, and innovation partners - including feasibility assessments, prototyping, and testing. They will also conduct horizon scanning to monitor trends in packaging, sustainability, consumer behaviour, and regulatory developments - sharing relevant insights with Category Leadership Teams (CLTs) and other relevant key stakeholders. They will translate consumer, brand, and commercial insights into packaging concepts, working cross functionally with Development, Marketing, R&D, Operations, Technical, SHE, and Procurement to ensure viability and alignment. As well as develop and implement a packaging benchmarking strategy to evaluate industry trends, identify best practices, and inform future innovation and design decisions. They will lead packaging development projects from concept through to launch, ensuring effective stakeholder engagement and timely delivery. Ideally this is you! Degree in Packaging Technology, Materials Science, Food Science, Engineering, or a related field. 3-5+ years' experience in a packaging development or packaging technology role, ideally within the food sector. Solid knowledge of packaging materials used in food applications (e.g., films/flexibles, paperboard, rigid plastics, barrier materials, MAP, etc.). Understanding of food safety, hygiene, and regulatory compliance in relation to packaging (e.g., EPR, PPT, BRCGS, Food Contact Materials Regulations). Experience working with packaging lines and machinery in production environments. Excellent project management, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills. Able to communicate effectively at multiple levels inside and outside the organisation both verbally and in writing. Influencing skills essential to ensure projects delivered at pace. What's in it for you? Enhanced Maternity & Paternity Leave to allow quality time with your new arrival! Enhanced Pension Scheme for our employees Free Employee Assistance Programme (open to colleagues and their families) Retail discounts accessible via our Benefits Hub platform! Company shop available at sites (heavily discounted, yummy products!) Refer a Friend Scheme (up to £300 per referral - t&cs dependent) Employee Recognition Awards Extensive Learning & Development opportunities (including opportunities for sponsored professional memberships and our own in house development course!) An opportunity to be part of a fantastic, growing organisation. Head over to our LinkedIn page to find out more! Our vision is to be the leading specialty bakery group in the UK and we want the best people in place to achieve this. Our continued success is built entirely on the talented people who work here, so employee development is important to us because everyone is a valued member of the team, and we want every individual to have the skills and capabilities to achieve both your own personal goals and our business goals. We want good people to join our company, to help our company continue to go from strength to strength. If this sounds like you, please get in contact to learn more!
Finsbury Food
Manchester, Lancashire
Park Seventeen, Whitefield, Manchester M45 8FJ, UK Job Description Shift: Rotating shifts-1 week on day shift and 1 week on night shift (4 x 12 hour shifts) We have a new opportunity for a People and Performance Advance Team Lead (ATL) within our Production Team who would work at Kara Foodservice in Manchester. Finsbury Food Group is a leading speciality bakery manufacturer. We constantly raise quality and efficiency standards and build long-term relationships with major multiple retailers and the foodservice channel. The bread for your morning toast, ready for butter-spreading or egg-dipping. The candle-filled centrepiece for a memorable celebration. The buns, muffins and other treats that turn teatime into quality time. Our Fletchers bakery has over 125 years of baking tradition, with our Kara bakery supplying delicious wholesale bakery products for over 35 years starting with the first floured bap. Both have been part of the Finsbury Food Group since 2014. The People and Performance ATL's key focus will be to support the Manufacturing Shift Lead with Performance and People metrics of the manufacturing function. They will provide leadership for the operating teams to deliver established Key Performance Indicators in line with Safety, Quality, Cost, Delivery and People. This role has responsibility for developing a team willing to go the extra mile to strive for manufacturing excellence. This is what you'll actually do! As the People and Performance ATL, you will lead by example, setting the tone for appropriate behaviour that aligns with our company values and culture. You'll be instrumental in engaging, motivating, training, and developing a high-performing team, driving them to meet and exceed performance standards and targets. You'll work closely with the Manufacturing Shift Lead to review staffing requirements in line with the site's labour budget, ensuring optimal manning levels throughout the year, even during seasonal fluctuations. Your deep understanding of all manufacturing processes, including ancillary operations, will help you oversee product quality and line efficiency. In this role, you'll proactively address and report any process issues, collaborating with your Advanced Team Member peers to resolve them through structured tiered meetings. You'll inspire your team to deliver strong performance across KPIs, including waste reduction, standard throughout, yield maximisation, and product quality standards. Training will be a key focus, and you'll monitor new starters on the production line to ensure training needs are met withing the required timeframe. You'll supervise and evaluate team members to ensure compliance with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and maintain safe, efficient, and effective productivity. You'll play a vital role in continuous improvement initiatives, contributing to site performance through the A3 methodology and action teams. Managing the team's skills matrix will be part of your remit, ensuring the right skills mix and succession planning to meet key performance indicators. Health, safety, and wellbeing are core responsibilities. You'll use appropriate systems to report hazards and near misses, support accident investigations, and champion a strong health and safety culture across the bakery. You will also take an active role in environmental initiatives, working towards zero waste in alignment with our sustainability KPIs. Your ability to lead with clarity and communicate effectively at all levels will ensure alignment and ownership in your area. You'll facilitate daily communications via huddles, handovers, Workplace, and team briefs to keep everyone informed and focused. Championing our quality standards, you'll lead your team to deliver safe, high-quality products in line with the Panel Quality Evaluation (PQE) standards, ensuring adherence to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). You will uphold area standards to meet both internal and external audit criteria across process adherence, technical performance, hygiene, safety, and quality. Using Leader Standard Work techniques, you'll ensure key routines are completed daily and weekly, while remaining flexible to accommodate production plan changes and support efficient changeovers. Lastly, you'll willingly take on additional duties as assigned by the Manufacturing Shift Lead, demonstrating a collaborative and agile approach to teamwork. Ideally this is you! Previous experience of working in a fast-paced and challenging environment is required. Experience having led/contributed to continuous improvement activities. Ability to demonstrate effective problem-solving skills using suitable root cause analysis methodology. Ability to build a team and motivate them to deliver/exceed business/personal set KPIs. Ability to complete standard work and support the implementation of multiple improvement projects within a team-based, fast-paced environment. Be able to demonstrate a good understanding of Health and Safety and Food Safety requirements. Ability to interact with multiple IT systems. Experience of working to set targets and deadlines. Experience of working on your own and to be able to work and contribute as part of a team. Ability to coach mentor and develop team members. Strong interpersonal skills; excellent verbal and written communication skills. Strong organisational and analytical skills. What's in it for you? Enhanced Maternity & Paternity Leave to allow quality time with your new arrival! Enhanced Pension Scheme for our employees Free Employee Assistance Programme (open to colleagues and their families) Retail discounts accessible via our Benefits Hub platform! Refer a Friend Scheme (up to £300 per referral - T&C's dependent) Employee Recognition Awards Extensive Learning & Development opportunities (including opportunities for sponsored professional memberships and our own in-house development course!) An opportunity to be part of a fantastic, growing organisation. Head over to our LinkedIn page to find out more! Our vision is to be the leading specialty bakery group in the UK, and we want the best people in place to achieve this. Our continued success is built entirely on the talented people who work here, so employee development is important to us because everyone is a valued member of the team, and we want every individual to have the skills and capabilities to achieve both your own personal goals and our business goals. We want good people to join our company, to help our company continue to go from strength to strength. If this sounds like you, please get in contact to learn more! Park Seventeen, Whitefield, Manchester M45 8FJ, UK
Park Seventeen, Whitefield, Manchester M45 8FJ, UK Job Description Shift: Rotating shifts-1 week on day shift and 1 week on night shift (4 x 12 hour shifts) We have a new opportunity for a People and Performance Advance Team Lead (ATL) within our Production Team who would work at Kara Foodservice in Manchester. Finsbury Food Group is a leading speciality bakery manufacturer. We constantly raise quality and efficiency standards and build long-term relationships with major multiple retailers and the foodservice channel. The bread for your morning toast, ready for butter-spreading or egg-dipping. The candle-filled centrepiece for a memorable celebration. The buns, muffins and other treats that turn teatime into quality time. Our Fletchers bakery has over 125 years of baking tradition, with our Kara bakery supplying delicious wholesale bakery products for over 35 years starting with the first floured bap. Both have been part of the Finsbury Food Group since 2014. The People and Performance ATL's key focus will be to support the Manufacturing Shift Lead with Performance and People metrics of the manufacturing function. They will provide leadership for the operating teams to deliver established Key Performance Indicators in line with Safety, Quality, Cost, Delivery and People. This role has responsibility for developing a team willing to go the extra mile to strive for manufacturing excellence. This is what you'll actually do! As the People and Performance ATL, you will lead by example, setting the tone for appropriate behaviour that aligns with our company values and culture. You'll be instrumental in engaging, motivating, training, and developing a high-performing team, driving them to meet and exceed performance standards and targets. You'll work closely with the Manufacturing Shift Lead to review staffing requirements in line with the site's labour budget, ensuring optimal manning levels throughout the year, even during seasonal fluctuations. Your deep understanding of all manufacturing processes, including ancillary operations, will help you oversee product quality and line efficiency. In this role, you'll proactively address and report any process issues, collaborating with your Advanced Team Member peers to resolve them through structured tiered meetings. You'll inspire your team to deliver strong performance across KPIs, including waste reduction, standard throughout, yield maximisation, and product quality standards. Training will be a key focus, and you'll monitor new starters on the production line to ensure training needs are met withing the required timeframe. You'll supervise and evaluate team members to ensure compliance with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and maintain safe, efficient, and effective productivity. You'll play a vital role in continuous improvement initiatives, contributing to site performance through the A3 methodology and action teams. Managing the team's skills matrix will be part of your remit, ensuring the right skills mix and succession planning to meet key performance indicators. Health, safety, and wellbeing are core responsibilities. You'll use appropriate systems to report hazards and near misses, support accident investigations, and champion a strong health and safety culture across the bakery. You will also take an active role in environmental initiatives, working towards zero waste in alignment with our sustainability KPIs. Your ability to lead with clarity and communicate effectively at all levels will ensure alignment and ownership in your area. You'll facilitate daily communications via huddles, handovers, Workplace, and team briefs to keep everyone informed and focused. Championing our quality standards, you'll lead your team to deliver safe, high-quality products in line with the Panel Quality Evaluation (PQE) standards, ensuring adherence to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). You will uphold area standards to meet both internal and external audit criteria across process adherence, technical performance, hygiene, safety, and quality. Using Leader Standard Work techniques, you'll ensure key routines are completed daily and weekly, while remaining flexible to accommodate production plan changes and support efficient changeovers. Lastly, you'll willingly take on additional duties as assigned by the Manufacturing Shift Lead, demonstrating a collaborative and agile approach to teamwork. Ideally this is you! Previous experience of working in a fast-paced and challenging environment is required. Experience having led/contributed to continuous improvement activities. Ability to demonstrate effective problem-solving skills using suitable root cause analysis methodology. Ability to build a team and motivate them to deliver/exceed business/personal set KPIs. Ability to complete standard work and support the implementation of multiple improvement projects within a team-based, fast-paced environment. Be able to demonstrate a good understanding of Health and Safety and Food Safety requirements. Ability to interact with multiple IT systems. Experience of working to set targets and deadlines. Experience of working on your own and to be able to work and contribute as part of a team. Ability to coach mentor and develop team members. Strong interpersonal skills; excellent verbal and written communication skills. Strong organisational and analytical skills. What's in it for you? Enhanced Maternity & Paternity Leave to allow quality time with your new arrival! Enhanced Pension Scheme for our employees Free Employee Assistance Programme (open to colleagues and their families) Retail discounts accessible via our Benefits Hub platform! Refer a Friend Scheme (up to £300 per referral - T&C's dependent) Employee Recognition Awards Extensive Learning & Development opportunities (including opportunities for sponsored professional memberships and our own in-house development course!) An opportunity to be part of a fantastic, growing organisation. Head over to our LinkedIn page to find out more! Our vision is to be the leading specialty bakery group in the UK, and we want the best people in place to achieve this. Our continued success is built entirely on the talented people who work here, so employee development is important to us because everyone is a valued member of the team, and we want every individual to have the skills and capabilities to achieve both your own personal goals and our business goals. We want good people to join our company, to help our company continue to go from strength to strength. If this sounds like you, please get in contact to learn more! Park Seventeen, Whitefield, Manchester M45 8FJ, UK