Area Process Manager

Step into a pivotal role at the heart of our drinks manufacturing operation, where you'll oversee everything from the sourcing and management of raw materials to the precise processing of ingredients that feed our production lines. As Area Manager, you'll ensure each component meets the highest standards of quality, safety, and efficiency — keeping our factory running smoothly while driving continuous improvement across every stage of the process.

Area Process Manager – Syrup room / Ingredients

Refresco, Bondgate

Shift: Days, Monday – Friday

What's in it for you?

• Competitive salary with annual pay review
• 12.5% annual bonus
• Bupa Healthcare
• 3X Life assurance
• 6% pension
• 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Option to purchase extra holiday
• Access to our employee benefits platform Cheers, including healthcare cover, dental insurance, car scheme, activities pass, financial services, and more

Be part of something refreshing.
At Refresco, we're driven to be the world's best independent bottler. We produce some of the nation's favourite drinks for leading brands and retailers — and we're growing fast. We're now looking for an experienced and motivated Area Process Manager to join our high-performing Kegworth team.

The Role

As Area Process Manager, you'll take ownership of performance across the Syrup Room and Ingredient Control areas — leading the way in safety, quality, hygiene, and yield.

You'll manage and develop a dedicated team to deliver against SQCDP and other key business targets. Your leadership will ensure efficient ingredient management, optimised syrup processes, and consistent delivery of "audit ready" standards. You'll also play a vital role in developing Refresco's manufacturing strategy for high-risk operations, including implementing new hygiene standards and driving capital investment projects for low/no preservative production.

What You'll Be Doing

• Lead and motivate the Syrup Room and Ingredient Control teams to deliver outstanding results in safety, quality, cost, delivery, and performance.
• Analyse ingredient and syrup yields, identify opportunities, and drive improvements through robust data insights.
• Develop and maintain manufacturing standards to ensure best practice and "audit ready" hygiene and quality.
• Partner with Technical, NPD, and Manufacturing teams to optimise product ratios, processes, and manufacturing performance.
• Identify and control key safety hazards within the syrup and ingredient process areas.
• Own the Syrup Room capital investment programme and establish robust capital standards.

What You'll Bring

We're looking for a results-focused leader with a strong technical and operational background, someone who's confident managing complexity, driving change, and inspiring people to perform at their best.

You'll need:

• Proven leadership experience within FMCG or food/beverage manufacturing.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, quality systems (ISO 9001/2000), and food safety standards.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and project management skills.
• Experience applying Lean principles and continuous improvement tools.
• Exceptional communication and coaching abilities, with a collaborative, cross-functional approach.
• IT literacy (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and business systems).

Who You Are

You're proactive, decisive, and performance-driven. You lead by example, think strategically, and take pride in delivering high standards across everything you do. You're passionate about developing people and processes and thrive in a fast-paced, forward-thinking environment.

Join Refresco and help shape the future of great-tasting drinks. Apply now and refresh your career.

About Refresco:

Refresco is the global independent beverage solutions provider for Global, National and Emerging brands, and retailers with production in Europe, North America, and Australia. Refresco offers an extensive range of product and packaging combinations from juices to carbonated soft drinks and mineral waters in carton, PET, Aseptic PET, cans, and glass. Refresco continuously searches for new and alternative ways to improve the quality of its products and packaging combinations in line with consumer and customer demand, environmental responsibilities, and market demand.

Refresco is headquartered in Rotterdam, the Netherlands and has more than 13,500 employees.

Our drinks on every table. That's the Refresco vision. We're a global business and currently produce 12 billion litres of soft drinks from 64 manufacturing plants in 12 countries and we're only just getting started.

We're the proud owners of six drinks manufacturing sites within the UK. Our UK business provides a great place to work for over 1,800 employees, who produce private label soft drinks and fruit juices for all the leading retailers. Whether it's packed in cartons, bottles or cans, we ensure that our products are made to the highest quality standards. Our products get where they need to be when they need to get there to meet the needs of our high-profile customers.

Refresco believes that equal opportunity for all is fundamental to our company's values and all our applicants can expect fairness and transparency in our recruitment process.

#LI-GK1 – Syrup Room Manager – Ingredients Manager – Area Manager – Process Manager