Project Change Manager - Blackburn

Position Overview:

The Project Change Manager will have responsibility for the overall change management process, process compliance and support in the delivery of branded product changes (including innovation, NPD, EPD as well as projects with 3rd party agencies. )

This is a new role within the business and will be part of the new innovation and product management structure, providing pivotal hands on support in project tracking, reporting and risk management.

Location:

Blackburn, Hybrid

Company Overview:

Pets Choice is a leading pet food manufacturer whose industry knowledge spans over 135 years. Based in Blackburn, Lancashire, the Pets Choice portfolio of brands offers a variety of products for pets and wild animals under its brands; Webbox, TastyBone, Meatiful, Spike’s World, Goodwyns, Davies, Oceanic and Vitakraft. Each brand offers a unique insight into animals from dogs to ducks and produces high-quality products that cater to a wide variety of consumer needs. As a trusted partner, Pets Choice provide private label goods including extruded food, wet food and retorted trays, and baked fresh meat treats. The business also offers additional services such as packaging design, fulfilment and logistics. With a broad range of capabilities and distribution channels worldwide, Pets Choice are proud to be a major supplier to the UK grocery, independents and pet speciality sectors.

Role:

• Creation, verification and maintenance of accurate branded critical paths.
• Responsible for the overall stage gate process including process, training and documentation.
• Responsible for organising and the recording of actions from project meetings. Chair meetings when required.
• Internal reporting against KPI’s and other performance metrics.
• Provide accurate information on progress, performance, and risks to the key stakeholders to support on time decision making and take decisions to escalate when appropriate.
• Work closely with the Project Sponsors to ensure projects are put into the change management process and are prioritised in accordance strategic plans and overall business requirements.
• Ensure that the contingency plan is acted upon if necessary to keep the project on track, accelerate or stop the project if the business need exist
• Responsible for ensuring key stakeholders are aware of, brought into projects at the right stage.
• Recommending priorities for projects to Innovation Controller or other stakeholders.
• Tracking resource capacity across the departments
• Proactively find ways to reduce timelines, make process more agile whilst remaining compliant and reducing errors.
• Set up brainstorming sessions on project scopes or when challenges arise.
• Responsible for project documentation recording including trial report, recipe sign offs, first production sign offs.
• Custodian of documentation updates, site alignment in WOW and training programmes.
• Instigate and complete project closures, review and implementation of learnings using the post launch review process for appropriate projects in the sector area.
• Proactively manage potential conflicts, engaging specialist expertise as required.
• Make recommendations for continuous improvements of the Critical path and stage and gate process

Key attributes and skills:

• Competent in project management
• Experience in managing critical paths to ensure projects land on time
• Strong experience in various types of project changes from EPD to Innovation through a stage gate process
• Experience of leading project meetings and working with cross functional teams.
• Prior knowledge of working with both manufacturing and 3rd parties’ organisations.
• Good understanding and demonstrable experience of Project Management practices and extensive use of leading projects through a stage and gate process.
• Proven ability to influence cross-functionally and at all levels - managing a complicated breadth of projects/number of people/geographical distance/supply and customer complexity.
• Excellent organisation skills and can manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Problem solver with a positive and can-do attitude, and an instigator of change.
• Thrives in a fast-paced and time pressured environment.
• Resilient, able to deal with challenges/ objections confidently and exert people influence skills.