R&D Manager, Coffee Development

Costa; Basildon; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading coffee brand is seeking an R&D Manager for Coffee Development in Basildon. This role is crucial in driving global coffee product innovation, ensuring quality across suppliers, and transforming market insights into successful products. The ideal candidate will possess extensive coffee knowledge and demonstrate strong leadership and collaboration skills within a dynamic, hybrid work environment. The position offers competitive benefits and the chance to impact the coffee industry significantly.

Benefits

Annual discretionary bonus

50% discount in Costa-owned stores

Private medical cover

Pension matching contributions up to 10%

Financial Support Fund

Qualifications

• Strong knowledge of green and roasted coffee, sensory evaluation, and cupping.
• Proven ability to translate market needs into innovative products.
• Solid understanding of global coffee market trends and consumer preferences.
• Demonstrated leadership in driving innovation with strong project management skills.
• Extensive industry experience with international exposure.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic supplier management and develop global coffee suppliers.
• Drive coffee range innovation and renovation through deep consumer insights.
• Own cost optimisation across the coffee value chain.
• Establish robust auditing frameworks for quality assurance.
• Provide strategic leadership and mentor teams in coffee expertise.

Skills

Deep Coffee & Technical Expertise

Product Innovation & Development

Market & Trend Insight

Leadership & Collaboration

Global & Commercial Acumen

Job description

R&D Manager, Coffee Development, Permanent – Costa Roastery, Christopher Martin Road, Basildon, Essex, SS143TR, UK

At Costa Coffee, we’re on a mission to reimagine coffee experiences across the globe. From bustling cities to local communities, we’re creating meaningful coffee moments, powered by innovation and driven by purpose.

As a proud part of the Coca‑Cola system and working hand‑in‑hand with our pioneering partners, we’re in over 50 countries and counting. Whether it’s served in-store, from a machine, at home, or on the go, every cup is thoughtfully crafted by our passionate teams who put heart into every moment.

We are seeking a hands‑on Coffee and Development Manager to lead global coffee product innovation, partnering with regional teams to turn market insights into compelling new products. This role shapes our innovation pipeline by leveraging flavour trends, technology, and industry advancements while working across the Coke ecosystem to bring ideas from concept to production. You will drive the development and governance of our iconic coffee beverages across high‑street retail, FMCG, and emerging channels, ensuring consistent excellence across all platforms.

We value curiosity, inclusivity, and a problem‑solving mindset. If you thrive in a fast‑paced, global environment and are excited to make a meaningful impact, we encourage you to apply.

With inspiring experiences, development programmes, and our apprenticeship scheme, your career can grow far beyond the day‑to‑day.

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What you’ll do

Being a R&D Manager, Coffee Development is about so much more than bringing our coffee to the world. It’s your chance to stir up real success – which means you’ll be:

• Lead strategic supplier management, identifying, onboarding and developing global coffee suppliers to ensure the highest standards of quality, compliance, cost efficiency and long‑term partnership.
• Drive coffee range innovation and renovation, leading the development of new products and the continuous improvement of existing lines using deep consumer insight, market trends and cross‑functional collaboration.
• Own cost optimisation across the coffee value chain, partnering with finance, procurement, production and suppliers to reduce COGs while protecting quality and supporting business growth.
• Champion quality assurance and governance, establishing robust auditing frameworks, proactively resolving quality issues and ensuring consistent excellence across all supplier coffee products.
• Act as the global coffee subject‑matter expert, providing strategic leadership, mentoring teams and brand ambassadors, influencing customers and positioning Costa as an industry leader in coffee innovation and expertise.

Who you are

It’s your unique ingredients we’re interested in:

• Deep Coffee & Technical Expertise: Strong knowledge of green and roasted coffee, sensory evaluation and cupping, roasting, brewing standards, FMCG coffee innovation, and coffee production and packaging machinery.
• Product Innovation & Development: Proven ability to translate market needs, consumer insights, and global trends into innovative coffee products, managing the full development lifecycle from concept to launch.
• Market & Trend Insight: Solid understanding of global coffee market trends, flavour innovation, consumer preferences, and emerging technologies within the coffee industry.
• Leadership & Collaboration: Demonstrated leadership in driving innovation, with strong project management, governance, and communication skills to collaborate effectively across global and cross‑functional teams.
• Global & Commercial Acumen: Extensive industry experience with international exposure, complemented by an understanding of supply chain, food safety, cost management, and cultural differences in global markets.

Benefits

• Own a piece of Costa’s success by becoming a share owner in Coca‑Cola with our Share Investment Plan (SIP).
• An annual discretionary bonus scheme, based on business results and individual contribution.
• A smart pension that saves you money on tax and national insurance, and matches your contributions up to 10 %.
• The Costa Financial Support Fund, supporting team members who find themselves in unexpected financial pressure.
• 50 % discount in all Costa‑owned stores, and 25 % off in other participating stores.
• Private medical cover thanks to our Private Healthcare scheme.
• Explore even more of our perks here: https://bit.ly/costaperks.

Location

Hybrid – Basildon. Required to attend our state‑of‑the‑art roastery at least three times a week.

For any reasonable adjustments and general queries, please get in touch with [e-mail].

We believe in living life with heart – and that starts with our people.

By showing up as our authentic selves, we create a culture where everyone belongs. We celebrate diversity in all its forms and are committed to building an equitable and inclusive environment—one that embraces the unique blend of experiences, identities, and perspectives each person brings. This rich diversity strengthens our teams and reflects the spirit of our global brand.

Grounded in our core values—Disciplined to Deliver, Passion for Progress, Win with Warmth, Courage to Challenge, and Trusted Team Players—we strive to make a meaningful impact in everything we do. From empowering communities through the Costa Foundation to supporting local initiatives, we’re committed to changing lives in coffee‑growing regions and right here at home.