Brand Quality Manager - Retail

At Danone we operate Smart Working, this means that our Danoners are entrusted to balance the needs of their role, business, and stakeholder needs with their own personal choices on where and how they best do their work. We value output and personal contribution, enabling ‘Danoners’ to be their most energised, healthy, and productive selves.

When team connection and collaboration is required, our hubs are located in Chiswick, Trowbridge and Dublin.

Role Purpose

This role will be accountable for the implementation of Out of Home (OOH) and retailers' technical requirements : NPD, standards, audits, complaints management, KPIs, and improvements. They will also be accountable for the timely delivery, and updating, of compliant retailer and OOH own-label lines and ensure reputation as a credible technical and ethical supplier.
This person will look to influence and work collaboratively with other business functions to overcome any potential barriers to product implementation and customer own label new product launches, whilst proactively managing relationships with Customer Technical Managers
This role will also have one direct report, managing a Food Technologist to support overall retail brand agenda delivery

Role Focus

• Manage effectively internal stakeholders, R&D, Sales, QFS, to ensure there is a clear understanding of UK legislative retailer and Out of home brand standards
• Support technically the NPD process from Benchmarking through to Post launch, attend the benchmarking meetings with customers for product upgrades and new lines
• Maintain and populate customer product specs ensuring 100% accuracy at all times
• Maintain RB / OOH mandatory certifications : SEDEX, etc ... in collaboration with other teams
• KPI and performance / improvement : Ensure KPIs reporting and regular performance meetings with key customers,
• Analyze retailer customer complaint trends for retail branded and Out of Home customers and guarantee action plans/ improvements are delivered
• Manage the surveillance plan for RB and OOH products, and report results / take actions if needed
• Audit and visits : Act as site host 2nd party audits from retail brand and out of home customers and support for 3rd party audits from accreditation bodies - e.g. BRC and be accountable for completion of post audit actions
• Support in case of incidents / crisis : maintain contact list, ensure the crisis processes of customers are integrated in Danone crisis management system, support in case of incident / crisis.

As Brand Quality Manager we would love you to demonstrate:

• Ability to thoroughly investigate, seek out information and research issues to gain a full understanding of the situation
• Effective communication skills, verbal and written across a diverse group of stakeholders
• Experience in a customer facing technical/quality role gained in Food Manufacturing
• Ideally degree level in food or science related degree
• Knowledge of Food Safety and Quality Management systems
• Effective interpersonal skills
• Have a valid and full UK driving license & flexibility around travel

Danone are a world leader across 3 categories: Essential Dairy & Plant Based, Natural Sourced Waters and Specialised Nutrition, many of our consumer brands are household names, ranging from heritage brands like Cow & Gate and Harrogate Waters to international favourites like Actimel, Alpro and evian. In the UK & Ireland and in every market in which we operate, we are committed to delivering health through food and drink to as many people as possible.

We operate at 5 production sites as well as our 3 HUBS in Chiswick, Trowbridge and Dublin - led by our people who power everything we do and are key to our success. We are a team of 2000+ Danoners, part of a 100,000 strong global family.

‘A force for good’, we are the first top 10 branded food and healthcare manufacturer in the UK & Ireland to certify as a B Corp. We are part of a growing global community set up to balance purpose and profit, helping to create a better world while thriving as businesses.

Our mission and values guide how we behave, our flexible ways of working, how we connect with our communities and how we grow & develop our people. We offer a competitive package including a double matched pension, annual bonus, private healthcare, life assurance, flexible benefits and product vouchers.

As a global company, Danone serves a huge array of different communities, with different cultures, local tastes and habits. Our teams need to represent the diversity of these millions of people and we therefore encourage applications from all backgrounds and aim to create a workplace where our Danoners can be their true authentic selves.