MM Flowers

NPD Packaging Manager

Company
Location
Alconbury, England, United Kingdom
Posted At
1/10/2025
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Description

The British flower market is worth £1.2bn and MM Flowers supplies fresh cut flowers and bouquets to the U.K.’s and Europe’s leading flower retailers. We grow and source the highest quality and most beautiful blooms across the world, delivering colour, passion, and inspiration through breath-taking blooms.

Established in 2007, MM Flowers has grown exponentially every year and is based in a purpose built, state-of-the-art facility in Alconbury, Huntingdon. MM Flowers employs over 900 people who are dedicated to delivering exceptional quality and service to our customers.

To continue our tremendous growth, we need the brilliant people to help us achieve our goals. We aim to deliver excellence at every point in the supply chain from distribution to processing, technical standards through to marketing, with consideration for our people and the planet at the heart of everything we do.

If this sounds like a company that you would like to be a part of, and you have the talent, energy and drive to be a part of shaping our journey, we would love to hear from you.


We are currently looking for a NPD Packaging Manager


Working across all categories (currently flowers and gifting), the purpose of this role is to be the driving force behind the creation of innovative and market-leading packaging solutions throughout the entire product lifecycle. You'll collaborate with various teams across the business, utilising data from diverse sources to generate ideas and concepts. Building strong relationships with suppliers worldwide is crucial, ensuring ethical sourcing and sustainability are prioritised.


Your responsibilities include owning the technical concept development and graphic design process, presenting commercially viable ideas to customers. Leading the weekly packaging meeting and managing packaging innovation deadlines are key aspects of the role. You'll also liaise with buying teams to obtain quotes on new designs, ensuring they align with the vision and requirements.


Additionally, you'll oversee artwork concept creation, ensuring compliance with brand guidelines before procurement. Monitoring complaints and troubleshooting any manufacturing issues are essential tasks.


Attending industry events to stay updated on trends and driving the packaging innovation agenda within the company are also part of the role. Ultimately, your aim is to ensure that packaging products meet both company and customer requirements, driving consistent quality and innovation across the board.


Core Responsibilities


  • Own the MM Flowers packaging strategy and use various data sources available to you to collaborate with innovative minds across the business, generating market leading packaging from concept and throughout the product lifecycle.
  • To build strong relationships with our various suppliers from Far East, Europe and UK; whilst ensuring ethical sourcing and sustainability is at the forefront of the development agenda.
  • To own technical concept development and graphic design, presenting customers with market leading ideas which are commercially sound and manufacturable.
  • Manage and lead the weekly packaging meeting, with timely completion of packaging workflows
  • Present packaging NPD, trends and future risks to customers.
  • To work with buying teams to obtain quotes on new packaging designs/innovations, assuring they meet NPD vision and requirements.
  • To manage the packaging innovation deadlines in line with customer expectations and in collaboration with NPD team.
  • To oversee the artwork creation and sign off proposal before handing to procurement and specific NPD manager.
  • Lead packaging development process, owning NPD packaging specifications and working with procurement/QA to ensure materials delivered meet the specifications and customers brand guidelines at first delivery
  • Keep up to date on packing manufacturing assets in MM Flowers factories, trouble shooting and correcting packaging when needs change.
  • Meet regularly with technical teams to review packaging complaints and put corrective actions in place to rectify where appropriate.
  • Lead in the development and creation of packaging briefs, liaising with suppliers to collate all the required information (with accurate cutting/folding guides, complete production information, product certifications, recyclability etc.) before handing to specific NPD teams for launch.
  • Ensuring packaging products meet MM Flowers and customer set requirements and specifications
  • Attend packaging conferences, exhibitions and store visits to draw inspiration from other industries and communicate these trips with the wider team for a knowledge sharing culture.
  • Understand print/finish processes for each supplier and problem solve any print challenges that may arise, including concession sign off where required.
  • Drive packaging innovation agenda across the business, advocating and supporting training where needed to ensure consistent ‘best in class’ quality is delivered to our customers.
  • Any other relevant task to successfully deliver the project, including (but not exclusively) hardware development where support is required. Working with the Flower and Gifting Product Development teams on all new and existing packaging development projects and creating complementary propositions.


What you can already do

  • Active knowledge of print and reprographics processes and technical capabilities
  • Develop and maintain strong knowledge of packaging guidelines, legislation standards and product certifications
  • Knowledge of sustainability and packaging such as - life cycle analysis and circular economy
  • Knowledge of cardboard packaging for direct to consumer delivery, retail trade packaging, packaging papers & films and labelling
  • Literate with Adobe Suite + MS Office - Word, Excel, Outlook & Teams.
  • Experience in Retail packaging production and the end to end processes, with operational awareness
  • Self-starter and self-driven to deliver samples with excellence and on time in a fast paced and complex environment.
  • A multitasker who works cooperatively with other team members and can navigate multiple briefs/ product categories at a time
  • Strong organisation skills, with very good attention to detail
  • An understanding of basic floristry and chilled gifting
  • Demonstrate a sense of urgency, with a creative approach to problem-solving
  • Sustain a high level of competence and a willingness to work flexibly within an ever-changing business landscape
  • Full UK approved driving licence


So, what’s the package? When you work at MM Flowers you get more than just a salary:


  • Holiday allowances are calculated on your days worked and you can find your allowance in your offer letter.
  • Pension Scheme - You will be auto enrolled onto the company pension scheme after 3 months. At present we operate an auto enrolment scheme where you will benefit from contributions from us.
  • Onsite Parking – free parking is available onsite
  • Recommend a Friend Scheme – £250 is payable to you when you recommend a friend who is successful through the application process and successfully completes their 3 month probationary period.
  • Career Progression – we actively encourage employees from within the business to consider roles which become available and whether that be within their field or want to consider a cross functional move.
  • Wonderful working environment– we are all working in a modern contemporary purpose built State of the Art facility.
  • We are committed to an open ethical and fair working environment and have a Whistleblowing Policy in place to ensure complaints and concerns are handled appropriately
  • We work with an Occupational Health provider to support our employees both mentally and physically.
  • Four times a year we run amazing Peak promotions with daily prizes to win.
  • We gather employee feedback annually to look at how we can continually improve the employee experience.
  • We work with GroceryAid who provide confidential 24/7 Helpline, 365 days a year for anyone who is working or has worked within the grocery trade, regardless of length of service providing emotional and practical support to help through a difficult time
  • We celebrate diversity by running a calendar of events throughout the year.
  • We have an active Employee Forum creating a safe space to encourage ongoing open dialogue about how we improve the employee experience.
  • We are affiliated with Stronger Together who provide guidance, training, resources and a network for employers, labour providers, workers and their representatives to work together to reduce exploitation.


MM Flowers are a proud equal opportunity employer, and we understand the benefits of nurturing a diverse and inclusive workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, sex, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, genetic information. Applicants who require a reasonable accommodation to complete the job role advertised are encouraged to apply.

We believe we can only achieve our potential if we employ a diverse population of people, ideas, and perspectives. We are committed to grow our workplace culture, encouraging team members to feel unique valued and engaged, enabling them to achieve their full potential.


All recruitment activities go through our internal Talent Acquisition Team and currently, this role doesn’t require agency input. Please do not forward resumes directly to MM Flowers employees/managers; we do not accept unsolicited resumes and are not responsible for any associated fees.

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