Ownership of packaging technical excellence across the business, spanning artwork production, supplier management, regulatory audits and innovation roadmaps that propel our packaging and brand forward.

Changing the world of pet food for good

We’re Tails.com, a dog food subscription company with a big difference. We create truly tailored food for each and every dog we serve. We start by asking people a few simple questions about their dog. Then we use that information to create their dog’s unique Tails.com recipe – so their dog gets exactly the nutrition they need, in the taste they love, delivered to their door every month. It’s clever stuff.

We’ve got bold plans. Having created an entirely new category in pet food, we’re now scaling fast – backed by Purina, one of the world’s largest pet food companies. You’ll join a bunch of smart people working towards the same goals – and a bunch of smart-ish dogs, all working on their own thing.

Together, we’ll change the world of pet food for good.

Build our brand

We’re building a brand, fast. We set ambitious goals. We challenge and support each other in equal measure. At the pace we’re moving, we prefer to test ideas and learn quickly rather than spend months building a business case. That means we celebrate when things go right, and we learn when things go wrong.

Sound like a team you want to join? Here’s how you’ll make a difference:

The role

Part of the Brand team, this position is pivotal in owning our packaging from a technical perspective. It is a highly cross-functional opportunity with real autonomy to shape the scope and make an impact.

It requires a confident, independent packaging expert with a strong blend of brand and operational knowledge, a hunger to innovate, strong communication skills to manage 10+ supplier relationships, and the drive to become the go-to voice for packaging across the business.

You will be responsible for:

Packaging technical expert

• Deliver packaging projects end to end from concept to launch through the NPD process, including technical recommendations, approvals and risk assessment.

• Shape the packaging pipeline, prioritising opportunities and aligning resources to business needs.

• Plan and oversee functional packaging testing to support supplier tenders, development and continuous improvement.

• Manage CAPEX budgets for packaging-related investment.

• Be the face of the function and key point of contact for all packaging matters.

Regulatory compliance and reporting

• Own and maintain our annual formal packaging assessment and RAM (Recyclability Assessment Methodology) for use across the value chain for EPR waste reporting.

• Identify relevant regulatory changes and drive inclusion into category roadmaps and project plans.

• Maintain a comprehensive and up-to-date record of packaging sustainability credentials, including FSC certifications and recycled content across all materials supplied by packaging partners.

Supplier management and continuous improvement

• Establish and continuously refine key packaging KPIs and performance targets.

• Build seamless ways of working with key packaging suppliers.

• Lead proactive evaluation of new packaging technologies.

The skills you’ll bring:

• Expertise in consumer packaging, ideally including new product or brand rollouts.

• Strong attention to detail, with (packaging) legal and regulatory experience.

• Independence and autonomy, with confidence to drive the function.

• Excellent communication skills and strong stakeholder management.

What's in it for you? (Fixed-term contract Roles)

• Competitive salary, reviewed annually

• Flexible core hours, giving you true work life balance

• Hybrid role to ensure this role works for you

• 25 days of holiday (excluding bank holidays) which increases over time to a max of 27 days

• 9/10 day working week to enhance your wellbeing without a reduction in pay and leave allowance

• Optional 5 days unpaid leave and 1 paid volunteer day each year

• When you need a change of scenery, you can work from abroad 2 weeks every 6 months

• Health insurance for you, paid by Tails.com

• Extended maternity, paternity, shared parental and adoption pay. 6 months at 70% pay

• Flexible paid care leave to support immediate dependants, people close to you and pets

• In house L&D team, with access to year round courses to help drive your development

• 50% discount on all Tails.com

• Discounted gym membership

What’s next?

If this sounds like it matches your experience and what you’d love to do, we can’t wait to hear from you! If you’re unsure whether you fit our criteria exactly, please get in touch anyway. And because we believe that diverse teams perform better, we’d especially love to hear from you if you’re from an under-represented demographic.

Here’s a taster of how our recruitment process works:

1. Once you have applied your CV will be reviewed by the Talent Acquisition Team.

2. If selected, you will then have a call with the TA Team who will tell you more about us and the role, as well as learning more about your skills and experience.

3. Should you be successful, the next stage will be a video call with the hiring manager and person currently in the role. (45-60mins)

4. If successful, you will be invited to present a task back to a panel of interviewers. (60-90 mins)

Our Commitment

We’re proud to be an active equal opportunity employer. We want to give everyone a fair chance to join us in changing the world of pet food for good. We do this by conducting a structured recruitment process for all candidates, as well as actively promoting our roles to communities that are under-represented at Tails.com.

During your interview process you’ll meet some of our team with varying levels of responsibility and experience. We want to give every candidate a fair interview process, and if you need any reasonable adjustments made, please let us know.