Programme Manager - Certification & Equipment Testing

Programme Manager - Capital Equipment Testing & Certification Location: Milton Keynes (Hybrid) Salary: Competitive Contract: 12-Month contract

Our client is seeking an experienced Capital Equipment Certification & Product Testing Programme Manager to join on a 12-month contract.

This is a high-impact, delivery-focused role responsible for two critical workstreams: certification and product/equipment testing.

Reporting to the Head of Operations & Performance, you will work closely with certification and testing partners, equipment manufacturers, suppliers, retailers and wider industry stakeholders to ensure both programmes are delivered effectively and to agreed timescales.

Key Responsibilities

RVM Certification

• Develop and manage an effective end-to-end equipment certification process alongside external delivery partners.
• Oversee supplier applications, approvals and certification status.
• Manage programme timelines, milestones and delivery against the October 2027 go-live.
• Establish and maintain appropriate supplier records and certification registers.
• Manage incidents, non-conformances, remediation and escalation where required.
• Provide clear progress, risk and issue reporting to senior stakeholders.

Product & Container Testing

• Oversee the testing programme to ensure containers are compatible with the automated technology.
• Coordinate the sourcing and management of test samples through suppliers, retailers and other relevant channels.
• Oversee formal and informal testing activity, ensuring results are accurately captured and assessed.
• Analyse testing outcomes, identify potential risks and ensure findings are clearly reported.
• Develop and maintain consistent testing processes and a central database of testing outcomes.

Stakeholder & Delivery Partner Management

• Act as the key point of contact for certification and product testing delivery partners.
• Procure, manage and oversee third-party partners, ensuring delivery against agreed scope, quality and timelines.
• Build effective relationships with equipment manufacturers, suppliers, packaging manufacturers, retailers and relevant industry bodies.
• Resolve technical or delivery issues and maintain effective communication across stakeholders.
• Represent the organisation in relevant industry forums and working groups.

Governance, Risk & Reporting

• Establish clear governance, reporting and escalation processes across both workstreams.
• Identify, assess and manage programme risks and issues, developing appropriate mitigation plans.
• Maintain robust documentation and audit trails to support assurance and regulatory requirements.
• Produce clear and credible reports and updates for senior stakeholders.
• Support the transition of both programmes into business-as-usual operations following go-live.

About You

We are looking for an experienced Programme or Project Manager with a background in certification, compliance, quality assurance, or product testing, ideally gained within a regulated, scheme-based, manufacturing or technology environment.

You will have:

• A proven track record of delivering complex, multi-stakeholder programmes against fixed deadlines.
• Experience procuring and managing third-party delivery partners.
• Experience developing supplier or partner registers, application processes and approaches to incident and non-conformance management.
• Strong programme and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple concurrent workstreams, timelines and external partners.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build strong relationships across suppliers, delivery partners and internal teams.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret testing information, identify risks and highlight opportunities for improvement.
• A highly organised and self-directed approach, with the confidence to operate autonomously in a fast-moving and evolving programme.

Experience within deposit return schemes, reverse vending technology, packaging, waste and resources would be highly desirable. Experience of testing or inspection activity, including mystery shopping, on-site testing or sample management, would also be advantageous.

Robert Walters Operations Limited is an employment business and employment agency and welcomes applications from all candidates