Junior Product Manager - 12 month FTC

At AM FRESH, we're looking for a proactive and detail-oriented Junior Product Manager to join our Technical team, supporting the Melons and Pines category on a 12-month maternity cover.

This is a fantastic opportunity for someone looking to further develop their technical, quality and customer-facing experience within the fresh produce industry. Acting as a key link between Tesco, suppliers, source operations and internal teams, you'll play an important role in ensuring product quality, food safety and customer requirements are consistently achieved.

Working closely with Product Managers, the Head of Technical, Category teams and operational colleagues, you'll support and drive continuous improvement initiatives while helping to deliver best-in-class product performance across the category.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Acting as the primary technical and quality contact for Tesco across the Melons and Pines category.
• Building strong customer relationships and ensuring Tesco requirements are effectively communicated and delivered across the business.
• Hosting Tesco visits and supporting customer meetings.
• Preparing, presenting and driving technical and quality performance reviews, KPI reporting and improvement plans.
• Deputising for Product Managers in customer meetings and communications where required.
• Monitoring product quality performance, including GHS, KQI and other customer metrics, to identify trends and drive continuous improvement.
• Supporting investigations into customer complaints, refunds, quality concerns and root cause analysis.
• Working closely with suppliers, sourcing teams and operational colleagues to resolve product performance issues.
• Managing key customer systems including TQC, Inspectorio, Toolkit and specification platforms.
• Maintaining finished product and raw material specifications to ensure accuracy and compliance.
• Producing weekly, monthly, seasonal and quarterly technical and quality reports for both internal and customer stakeholders.
• Supporting new product launches and reintroduced products through technical and quality set-up activities.
• Participating in benchmarking exercises, competitor reviews and product evaluations.
• Supporting decisions around product residency, stock management, FIFO and FEFO processes.
• Undertaking supplier and source visits to identify opportunities for product quality improvements.
• Supporting EPW investigations and product withdrawal activities in line with company compliance procedures.

This role offers excellent exposure to customer-facing technical management within one of the UK's leading fresh produce supply businesses and provides a strong development pathway into Product Management and Technical leadership roles.

We're looking for an enthusiastic and commercially aware individual with a passion for fresh produce, quality and continuous improvement.

To be successful in this role, you'll ideally have:

• Experience within fresh produce, food manufacturing, packhouse operations or a technical environment.
• Melon and Pines knowledge, or broader fresh produce category experience.
• Experience working with major UK retailers, ideally Tesco or another leading supermarket customer.
• A demonstrable track record of supporting quality, technical or food safety improvements.
• Understanding of food safety, quality management and customer compliance requirements.
• Experience within factory, production or packhouse operations.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to identify trends and implement solutions.
• Excellent organisational and planning capabilities.
• Strong communication skills and confidence presenting information to customers and stakeholders.
• The ability to prioritise multiple tasks and deliver results within tight deadlines.
• High attention to detail and accuracy.
• A proactive approach with the confidence to work independently and use your own initiative.
• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel to suppliers, sites and source locations when required.

Our product portfolio includes citrus fruits, grapes, melons, pineapples, apples, pears and selected vegetables, products many of us see on our own tables. If you have shopped for these at Tesco, chances are they have passed through our site. We have been proud to be a trusted Tesco partner since 2014.

Our people are at the heart of everything we do. With over 800 colleagues from more than 50 countries, our Peterborough site is one of the area’s most diverse employers. As a growing business, we are committed to supporting our teams through ongoing training, development and progression opportunities for all.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences. We value diversity and believe that a wide range of perspectives strengthens our culture, drives innovation, and helps us better serve our customers. We are dedicated to making our recruitment process accessible for everyone. If you require any adjustments to support your application or interview, please let us know, we’re happy to discuss how we can help.