R&D Manager, Innovation

At Costa Coffee, we are what we craft. We’re reimagining coffee experiences in over 50 countries and counting, as a key part of the Coca-Cola System. Whether you get your coffee in a store, from a machine, at home, or on the go – we’ve got you covered.

As our R&D Innovation Manager, you’ll help shape the future of innovation at Costa Coffee, turning emerging consumer trends, technologies and ideas into opportunities that fuel our long-term growth. You’ll build and manage our future technology and capability pipeline, exploring new ingredients, equipment, packaging and processes while developing strategic partnerships across suppliers, universities, start-ups and the wider Coca-Cola system. Working across R&D, Commercial, Procurement and Supply Chain, you’ll translate insight into actionable roadmaps and programmes that ensure Costa has the capabilities, partnerships and technology needed to deliver our innovation ambitions for years to come.

Our teams make a difference. Whether that’s working on new tech for the perfect pour, helping our teams grow, creating award-winning campaigns, crunching the numbers, or developing the latest exciting menu item; together, we stir up success.

We may be a global brand, but we haven’t forgotten our roots. That’s where the Costa Foundation and our fantastic community agenda come in. Whatever your role, you can help us change lives in coffee growing communities and help your local community too.

We also want to help you grow in your career through amazing experiences, our apprenticeship scheme, and development programmes. At Costa, you can go beyond the day-to-day. And as an R&D Manager there’s never been a better time to join.

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 pretty brilliant perks to sweeten the deal:

• 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

We’re passionate about being a great place to work, where you can bring your unique self into our mix. We firmly support diversity, equity and inclusion, and continue to work with our teams to shape the future of our culture and values: Disciplined to Deliver, Passion for Progress, Win with Warmth, Courage to Challenge and Trusted Team Players.

What you’ll do: Being an R&D Innovation Manager is about imagining what’s next for Costa Coffee and making it possible. It’s your chance to explore new technologies, unlock future opportunities and build the capabilities that will fuel our next generation of innovation, which means you’ll:

• Shape and deliver Costa’s future innovation pipeline, identifying emerging technologies, trends and opportunities that can unlock long-term growth.
• Scout and evaluate new ingredients, equipment, processes and emerging technologies, translating promising ideas into tangible innovation opportunities.
• Build strategic external partnerships with suppliers, universities, start-ups and the wider Coca-Cola system to access new technologies, expertise and capabilities.
• Develop technology, ingredient and capability roadmaps that connect future opportunities with Costa’s innovation strategy and 3 to 5 year ambitions.
• Collaborate across R&D, Commercial, Procurement and Supply Chain to turn insights and emerging opportunities into scalable solutions.

Who you are: It’s your unique ingredients we’re interested in:

• Strong experience in R&D, innovation or technology development, ideally within food, beverage, FMCG or a similarly fast paced consumer environment.
• A relevant technical or scientific background, with the ability to understand emerging ingredients, technologies, processes and equipment and their potential commercial applications.
• Proven experience leading complex innovation programmes, taking ideas and opportunities from early stage exploration through development and towards commercialisation.
• Excellent collaboration and influencing skills, with confidence building relationships across cross functional teams, suppliers, external partners and senior stakeholders.
• A curious, forward-thinking and commercially minded approach, with strong analytical and problem-solving skills and the ability to turn trends and insights into meaningful innovation opportunities.

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. Based at our Loudwater Innovation Centre, you'll work in a hybrid way, spending three days a week in the office alongside colleagues to connect, collaborate and bring great ideas to life. It's an exciting environment where you'll partner with teams across the business to shape the future of our innovation pipeline and help deliver the next generation of products our customers will love.

For any reasonable adjustments and general queries, please get in touch with the recruitment team.