Production Manager

The Company:

Gravity Drinks are a Cheltenham based drinks producer making spirits products sold into retailers.

We produce a range of drinks, predominantly in the gifting sector selling into department stores, multiples, general retailers and wholesalers. We also export extensively into Australia, Asia, Europe and the U.S.

We are a small, fun and friendly team now looking to hire a full time Production Manager.

Position: Production Manger

Responsibilities: Sourcing & Purchasing, Production Planning, Compliance & Regulatory, Transport, Shipping & Bond Operations

Sourcing & Purchasing

We view our suppliers as partners in our business as they underpin our ability to deliver quality product on time and at the right price to our customers.

This role will be responsible for:

• Building strong supplier relationships across all the products and services we purchase and troubleshooting supplier issues.
• Cost negotiation to ensure best possible prices are achieved and product is bought in the most economical way.
• Producing Request for Tender (RFT) briefs to send to new and existing suppliers when we have new orders.
• Meeting with the suppliers to determine who should be awarded the contract based on pricing, quality, reliability and other criteria to be determined as most crucial.
• Components purchased will include but not be limited to paper board, corrugate, glass, gold leaf, lights, hang tags, corks and closures, capsules, spirit, flavour compound, sleeves, labels, ancillary packaging, POS material.
• Services purchased will include bottling, co-packing, warehousing, transport, shipping and laboratory analysis.
• Using the company’s Unleashed Software package to manage and produce purchase orders.
• Using Unleashed to develop a Bill of Materials (BOM) that show all the components in a product and an accurate Cost of Goods (COGS).
• Checking that supplier invoices match with purchase orders and goods receipted in before authorising payment by accounts.
• Creating a supplier database that identifies the key suppliers in the market for the components and services we purchase.
• Constantly working to identify new and innovative suppliers that could give us an edge in price, quality or production techniques.
• Working to ensure we are not too reliant on any one supplier that could cause a bottle neck or undue risk to production.
• Attending trade and supplier events to meet and network with people in the industry.
• Requesting samples to check sizing, fit, quality and suitability for use.
• Quality Control (QC) of samples, components and services. Quickly identifying issues if they arise in the quality and working with the supplier to rectify.

Production Planning

As the company scales so do the complexity and volume of the products we produce. Good production planning is essential to the delivery of higher volumes of existing product and bringing new products to market.

• Responsible for developing critical pathways and timelines to deliver the company’s existing products and new products under development on schedule and into customers.
• Liaising and meeting with suppliers to ensure we have the volume of components needed delivered in at the right time to the right location.
• Working with our bottlers and co-packers to schedule in production of filling and packing.
• Working with our transport partners to ensure the timely movement of components and product into our warehouses, packers, fillers or customers.
• Bringing components in and together at the right time to ensure we can assemble, pack, fill and produce the finished goods on time.
• Following up on delays in shipping, transport or customs clearance and addressing as needed.
• Constantly be working to identify ways to improve the production process and make more efficient.

Compliance & Regulatory

The company now exports to several international markets with different compliance, regulatory and import labelling requirements. In addition, some of our UK customers have strict compliance regulations about the accreditation of suppliers we are able to use.

· Work with international customers to ensure our product meets all of their local compliance and regulatory standards.

· Sending liquid samples for laboratory analysis for the various tests required and providing our customers with the results.

· Verifying that a supplier has the appropriate accreditation such as BRC, Sedex, Salsa etc. and will be acceptable based on our customers requirements.

· Completing new item setup for customers giving details on weights, measures, ingredient lists, packaging materials etc. to ensure everything is in line with their local regulations.

· Working with our print partners to design and produce import labels for product going into international markets.

· Liaising with our flavour house and importer in the U.S. to ensure our liquid is TTB compliant for the American market.

· Occasionally running NPD by our compliance lawyers if we have a concern on the design, packaging or description of the product.

Transport, Shipping & Bond Operations

We warehouse most of our finished product with third party logistics providers (3PL) under bond and this requires careful attention to HMRC regulations and paperwork. We also need to move this product around the U.K. and internationally both on a duty paid basis and under bond.

This role will therefore be responsible for:

· Warehousing of components and finished product, including those under duty suspension.

· Choosing the appropriate warehouse to store goods.

· Having an accurate stock take of the components and finished goods on hand.

· Organising transport and using the appropriate partner to move goods around the U.K. either into or between our warehouses, our bottlers or co-packers or DDP into a customer.

· Getting product ready to be picked up by customers who will be organising their own transport when shipping ex works (EW). Ensuring Packing Lists, Commercial Invoice and Bill of Lading are accurate and ready in time for pick up to ensure no delays.

· Completing bond paperwork (W5D and W5) and submitting to HMRC or our warehouse when goods are ready to leave on a duty paid basis.

· Organising deep sea shipping with our logistics partners when we are responsible for moving the goods to international locations.

Job Type: Full-time

Salary: £45,000.00-£50,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Casual dress
• Company events
• Flexitime
• Free parking

Schedule:

• Flexitime
• Monday to Friday

Supplemental pay types:

• Bonus scheme
• Performance bonus

Work Location: In person