International Project Manager

about us

itsu is a crusading, dynamic, & fast-growing chain of Asian-inspired healthy food shops. itsu [grocery] brings the itsu vision into retail and wholesale worldwide.

itsu [grocery] has a strong presence within all major UK retailers, on track to taking the brand to £57m turnover (31% growth year on year).
Buoyed by the success in the UK, itsu [grocery] International have expanded into several European markets, winning some major listings in key retailers and going from strength to strength. With more ground-breaking products in the pipeline and expanding into new and exciting categories (and markets), this is just the beginning.

itsu [grocery] is committed to building a diverse, equitable and inclusive organisation. We encourage applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply for all of our opportunities.

When applying for a role with us, please remove your: full name, name of University/School, address, email address and any photos of you on your CV and covering letter. non-anonymised CVs may not be reviewed.

role responsibility

Overarching responsibilities include managing all NPD & EPD change projects that
impact our international products range. Requiring effective collaborative working
across our International, NPD, Brand, Marketing, Supply Chain & Technical teams.

• NPD project management: 

o Attend all category projects meetings [frozen, chilled, ambient]
representing & championing international requirements.
o Monitor & or drive project progress with all relevant stakeholder
ensuring timelines are being met. Manage internal & external
expectations and challenge decisions/actions within projects meetings
when required.
o Help drive the international product launch strategy by conducting in
depth market & competitor research to analyse product suitability,
then present comprehensive recommendations.
o Manage the briefing & delivery of bespoke International Projects [e.g.,
bespoke products, design or packaging changes, updates required
because of legislation changes or as a result of conclusions drawn
within the project research phase].
o Responsible for completion of Gate documentation & representing the
International team in weekly Gate meetings.
o Own & run weekly meetings to update wider International team on
key/time sensitive projects.

• Brand asset management: 

o Manage the briefing & delivery of the ‘’Design Sign Off’ process for
international packaging artwork projects [e.g., redesigns, different
claims, products titles etc].
o Responsible for external Brand compliance & accuracy [e.g., checking
for retailer portals/ itsu website, ensuring distributors have up-to-date
assets].
o Ongoing international asset management with support from the Brand
team [e.g., renders, photography, etc].
o Monitor trademark compliance & conduct regular checkups.

• Technical liaison

o Gatekeeper of New Line Form completion & up-to-date distributor
documentation, including assisting the technical team with correct &
accurate ‘technical 1 pager’ submission.
o Assisting with the accurate completion & assessment of regulation
horizon scanning.
o Assisting with the management of complaint response and process.
o Assisting with international artwork checks.
 Supply Chain liaison
o Assisting with the ‘Master Data’ process for changing NPD & EPD
information.
o Managing any bespoke labelling requirements from artwork
generation to procurement & delivery. Liaising closely with Supply
Chain team to minimise any potential risk this may cause.

the ideal candidate

• You will have 3+ years’ experience in an FMCG business with an understanding of cross functional requirements [product development, supply chain, technical, marketing, sales etc].
• You will be highly organised with exceptional attention to detail & accuracy.
• You will have the energy & self-motivation to work within a rapidly growing business that is constantly evolving with changing priorities. 
• You will be practiced at stakeholder management (including senior management), able to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
• You will be a team player, able to build & maintain successful working relationships both within the business & externally.
• You will be driven, assertive when required, capable of adopting a dynamic approach to any task.
• You will be a pro-active, identifying issues and preventing them as or before they arise.
• You will be comfortable working under pressure to meet stretch targets and moveable deadlines. 
• You will be reactive  adaptive with an open-minded approach to the role with a flexible, ‘can do’, friendly attitude. Our business is constantly changing!
• You will be a quick learner & a self-starter, able to identify & act on opportunities for improvement for the betterment of the international business.
• Previous experience of European markets would be beneficial but not essential. 
• A passion for food is a must!

perks and benefits

• Competitive salary
• Competitive bonus scheme
• 25 days holiday+ bank holidays (two bank holidays are interchangeable for other religious holidays)
• Hybrid working (2 days wfh) 
• Health insurance
• Company pension scheme
• The chance to work directly with the co-founder of itsu & Pret
• 50% employee discount in itsu shops
• Free itsu lunch 
• Discounts at major retailers
• A sizeable training budget to support your ongoing development