Talent Development Manager at Seven Up Bottling Company

Created by the Howdy Corporation in St. Louis, MO, 7UP was an optimistic venture from the very start. After great success with the Howdy Orange drink, company founder C.L. Grigg decided to try his luck with lemons and limes. C.L. Grigg spent more than two years testing over 11 different formulas, all in search of a drink that was refreshing enough to prove irresistible to the people of Missouri and the world at large. In 1929, C.L. Grigg’s bubbliest drink was born. The public quickly developed a taste for Grigg’s caramel colored lemon-lime soda. Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda sold, and sold well. As the drink grew more and more popular, the original name was traded in for something short and sweet. Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda became known as 7UP. Early advertising featured a winged 7UP logo with copy that read "a glorified drink in bottles only. Seven natural flavors blended into a savory, flavory drink with a real wallop." The drink was so successful by 1936 that Grigg changed the name of The Howdy Corporation to The Seven-Up Company. By the late 1940s, 7UP had become the third best-selling soft drink in the world. In the decades to follow, 7UP developed iconic branding, setting it apart from industry front-runners. In 1967, 7UP brought the phrase UNCOLA into the national vernacular. The UNCOLA campaign set 7UP apart from its competition and became part of a counter cultural that symbolized being true to yourself and challenging the status quo. Always at the frontier of taste and pop culture, 7UP was also among the first sodas to introduce sugar-free and caffeine free options. Through the years, advertising for 7UP featured everything from a cartoon mascot named Spot, to the "It’s an Up thing" and "Make 7UP yours" taglines.
Responsibilities

Track and report on the development progress of all trainees and escalate performance concerns, facilitating mid-programme interventions as needed.
Manage the end-of-program assessment and conversion process, providing clear recommendations on confirmation, extension, or exit.
Define and maintain career paths for identified talents, successors, and critical role holders across the organization.
Champion employee mobility initiatives-lateral moves, cross-functional transfers, and role changes-and ensure structured and transparent processes that support individual growth and organizational agility.
Facilitate and drive promotional conversations by equipping managers and employees with the data needed to make evidence-based progression decisions.
Support talent actions arising from Talent Reviews, including development plans, stretch assignments, and accelerated progression programs for high-potential employees.
Provide direct guidance to employees seeking to understand their career progression options, potential trajectories, and development requirements within SBC.
Drive the implementation of SBC's learning strategy and learning and development framework across the organization, ensuring alignment with business priorities and talent objectives.
Drive the Technical Academy, Sales Academy, and Leadership Development Programme, ensuring programme design, content, and outcomes are aligned with organisational capability requirements.
Coordinate with the Manufacturing Capability Manager and technical learning partners to drive technical training, simulations, and capability-building initiatives, including through SBC's technical
Ensure career pathing is supported by targeted learning interventions.
Support the design and delivery of internal talent development programs, including mentoring schemes, job shadowing arrangements, and internal mobility campaigns.
Leverage workforce analytics to identify career progression bottlenecks, attrition risks, training effectiveness trends, and internal mobility patterns, translating insights into actionable recommendations for leadership.
Benchmark SBC’s career management and learning practices against FMCG industry standards and leading practices, recommending improvements to remain competitive in talent retention and capability building.

Requirements

B.Sc. in Human Resources, Psychology, Business Administration, or a related discipline
6–8 years of progressive HR experience, with a clear focus on talent management, learning and development, career development, or organizational development
Prior experience in an FMCG, manufacturing, or high-volume workforce environment
Experience driving technical or sales academy program
Familiarity with HRIS platforms and talent/learning management systems (e.g., SeamlessHR, SAP HCM)
Demonstrated experience managing structured graduate trainee or early careers programs
Hands-on experience with career pathing, competency framework design or administration, and learning program management
Membership of CIPM, or equivalent professional body
Possession of HR Practitioner License (as applicable).