The opportunity you've been waiting for
Premium whisky packaging doesn't happen by accident. It requires technical rigour, creative collaboration and someone with the organisational capability to hold a complex, multi-year pipeline together under pressure.
Gordon & MacPhail, one of the world's most respected names in single malt Scotch, is looking for an NPD Manager to lead that agenda. You will own the full NPD life cycle across a premium portfolio, from concept through to production sign-off, working across a 36-month planning horizon and chairing the cross-functional groups that keep projects on track.
It is a role with real scope: strategic oversight, a team to lead and the kind of brand context that makes the work worth doing.
How you'll make your mark
- Own and manage the company-wide NPD plan across a multi-year horizon, chairing cross-functional working groups and keeping brand, procurement, quality, operations and external partners aligned.
- Lead multiple packaging development projects simultaneously, from design concept through technical feasibility to production-ready execution.
- Provide technical expertise on packaging processes, labelling regulations, production constraints and quality standards, with responsibility for final approvals and proofing.
- Manage supplier selection, approval processes and packaging production sign-off.
- Lead and develop a small NPD team, building in-house packaging capability over time.
- Drive continuous improvement through post-project reviews and policy development.
- Represent the business externally with industry bodies and key suppliers.
What's in it for you
- A planning horizon that rewards genuine strategic thinking, with a 36-month NPD pipeline to shape and own.
- Line management responsibility and room to grow the team's capability.
- The credibility of working for one of the world's most celebrated independent whisky businesses.
A bit more about Gordon & MacPhail
Founded in Elgin in 1895 and still family-owned four generations later, Gordon & MacPhail is the world's leading single malt specialist. The business operates across distilling, maturation, bottling and retail, with two distilleries, a portfolio of casks spanning over a century and a global reputation built entirely on the quality of what's in the bottle and on the shelf.
Packaging here is not an afterthought. For a brand where provenance, rarity and craft define the premium positioning, what goes on the outside matters as much as what goes in. This role has been created to bring dedicated strategic leadership to that function as the business continues to grow.
Denholm's take
Gordon & MacPhail is one of those businesses that genuinely does things differently. Decisions are made with the next generation in mind, quality is non-negotiable and the brand carries real weight in the global whisky community. For an NPD professional who wants to work on packaging that actually means something, this is a compelling place to do it.
If you have a background in packaging technology or NPD within drinks or FMCG and are ready to lead rather than support, we would welcome a confidential conversation.
