Senior NPD Project Manager (Branded Food & Drink) in England

Are you an experienced Technical Project Manager ready to lead high-impact innovation and capital projects in a fast-paced, international environment?

We’re partnering with a market-leading FMCG business that is continuing to grow its global footprint and invest heavily in innovation, operational capability and supply chain expansion. This is a fantastic opportunity to play a pivotal role in delivering complex, cross-functional technical programmes from concept through to commercialisation.

The Role

As Senior Technical Project Manager, you will lead the technical delivery of strategic projects across innovation, product development, packaging, process improvement and production line commissioning.

Working closely with senior stakeholders across technical, operations, quality and commercial teams, you will ensure projects are delivered on time, in full and within budget — while proactively managing risk and driving continuous improvement.

This is a highly visible role with real influence across the organisation.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end technical delivery of cross-functional projects
• Own project governance, timelines, budgets and risk management
• Commission new production lines and oversee major technical upgrades
• Deliver product and packaging innovation from concept to launch
• Partner with suppliers to develop and trial fit-for-purpose technical solutions
• Facilitate structured project reviews, risk assessments and post-launch evaluations
• Champion best practice, continuous improvement and technical excellence
• Coach and support technical team members to build capability

People Profile

You will bring:

• A degree in a science or engineering discipline
• 7+ years’ experience within FMCG or food manufacturing
• A strong track record of delivering technical projects through to commercialisation
• Deep understanding of product and packaging development and validation
• Exceptional stakeholder management and influencing skills
• Strong analytical thinking and risk management capability
• The resilience and agility to thrive in a fast-paced, evolving environment
• Project management certification or packaging qualifications are advantageous.

Why Apply?

• Join a high-growth, internationally recognised business
• Play a key role in shaping innovation and operational capability
• Work in a collaborative, ambitious and forward-thinking culture
• Competitive salary and benefits package
• Hybrid working with exposure to production environments

If you’re commercially minded, technically strong and passionate about delivering innovation at pace, we’d love to hear from you.