Technical Packaging & Merchandise Manager

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.

The Technical Packaging & Merchandise Manager is responsible for delivering EPD & NPD projects ensuring Costa packaging, merchandise and gifting is functional, food safe and compliant with global regulatory requirements. Managing suppliers performance through continuous improvement of processes, procedures and technical standards will be a critical part of the role to ensuring global consistency of packaging, merchandise and gifting, brand standards and sustainability requirements.

You will leverage your understanding of packaging materials, and technologies to ensure Costa packaging has consistent quality, operational performance, and excites our consumers, customers and drive growth for Costa.

What you’ll do:

• Lead the delivery of packaging, merchandise and gifting projects (NPD & EPD), ensuring products are compliant, food safe, sustainable and aligned to brand standards.
• Develop and embed global packaging processes, technical standards and testing protocols to ensure consistency, quality and operational performance.
• Own specification management and regulatory compliance across all regions, maintaining approvals and staying ahead of emerging packaging legislation.
• Manage supplier assurance, including auditing, risk management and ensuring consistent delivery against agreed specifications throughout the product lifecycle.
• Partner cross-functionally (e.g. Sustainability, Marketing, Procurement, Supply Chain) to design innovative, fit-for-purpose packaging that enhances customer experience and drives growth.

Who you are:

• Strong knowledge of global packaging regulations, food safety standards and sustainability requirements, with experience across materials such as plastics and paper-based packaging.
• Proven experience in end-to-end packaging development within FMCG, from concept through to launch, including project delivery and process improvement.
• Ability to develop and embed technical standards, processes and quality systems (e.g. BRC, ISO, HACCP) within a global organisation.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work cross-functionally and influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Self-starter with a structured, agile approach—able to manage complexity, adapt to changing priorities and drive results in a fast-paced environment.

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 a new 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.