Account Director at Citypress, the UK's fastest-growing PR agency network
Location: Hybrid - UK-based with regular presence in Milton Keynes office (opens September 2025)
Contract Type: Interim - 12 months
Start Date: ASAP
Reporting to: Interim Operational Lead/CEO
The role
We are seeking a strategic and highly analytical Interim Retail Development Lead to design and develop a nationwide network of DRS return points. Your primary objective will be to build a team and deliver a fine-mazed, accessible, and efficient network of return locations for consumers across England, Scotland & Northern Ireland, informed by market data, legislation, and real-world retail dynamics.
This project role will involve extensive data gathering and mapping of the supermarket, wholesale, and on-the-go beverage sales landscape, to identify and recommend optimal return point locations. You will also help define the approach to exemptions under DRS regulations and act as the DMO’s primary point of contact for return point development.
This is a unique opportunity to join a high-impact team at an early stage and contribute directly to the delivery of a major national environmental initiative. The DMO will evolve from a project-focused start-up into a fully operational organisation launching DRS by October 2027.
Key Responsibilities & Priorities
Return Point Network Design
* Map and analyse the UK retail and wholesale beverage sales landscape, including large format retailers, convenience stores, and on-the-go locations.
* Develop a data-informed plan for a consumer-convenient, high-coverage return point network that meets legislative and operational requirements.
* Consider practical factors such as space, accessibility, store type, throughput, and geography.
Legislation & Compliance
* Use DRS legislation as a framework to determine return point obligations and outline proposals for exemptions based on mapping outcomes.
* Develop return point contracts.
* Work with legal and policy teams to ensure return point strategy aligns with statutory requirements.
Retail & Wholesale Engagement
* Serve as the DMO’s lead contact on return point development and act as liaison with relevant retail and wholesale stakeholders.
* Coordinate with retailers, trade bodies, and other industry participants to validate data and assumptions.
Internal Collaboration & Reporting
* Work closely with logistics, legal, and communications colleagues to ensure consistency across DMO workstreams. Support the development of the retailer handling fee specification requirements.
* Contribute to board-level updates, presentations, and progress reports.
* Support the development of implementation roadmaps and policy tools related to take-back obligations and exemptions.
About You
* Deep knowledge of the UK retail and wholesale landscape, particularly in FMCG and beverage categories.
* Proven experience working with or within national or regional retail chains, wholesalers, or retail operations.
* Strong analytical skills and the ability to work with complex datasets (mapping, sales points, sales data, geographic data, etc.).
* Confident engaging with senior retail stakeholders and representing the organisation externally.
* Practical and structured approach to problem-solving in a start-up environment.
How to Apply
Please submit your CV and a short statement outlining your relevant experience and availability to Raymond.Gianotten@dmouk.com
About DRS
Deposit Return Schemes (DRS) are a proven global solution to one of the most visible and persistent environmental issues: beverage container waste. By placing a small, refundable deposit on drinks containers, DRS incentivises consumers to return them for recycling, dramatically improving collection rates, reducing litter, and enabling the production of high-quality, food-grade recycled materials. 57 DRS schemes are currently in operation across 32 countries – including Germany, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Australia, and several US states – with return rates often exceeding 90%. The systems are widely recognised as critical to accelerating the transition to a circular economy. They are a proven response to beverage container waste – which makes up around 40% of visible litter.
Advantages of DRS Compared to kerbside collection:
* Recycling rates jump from ~70% to over 90%
* Carbon savings of over 46 million tonnes CO₂e expected in the UK by 2035
* Litter reduction, energy savings, and creation of food-grade recycled materials
Incentives & impact
DRS delivers results that benefit industry, environment, and society:
* Aligns with ESG and circular economy goals
* Unlocks access to high-quality recycled materials
* Enhances consumer trust and participation
* Establishes a scalable infrastructure for sustainable waste recovery
About us
The Deposit Management Organisation (DMO) is the newly appointed entity responsible for overseeing the operation of a DRS. The DMO manages the logistics of collecting and sorting the returned containers and financial operations, such as collecting and reimbursing deposits.
The DMO is a single, not-for-profit industry-led body made up of drinks producers, retailers, and the wider supply chain with the mandate to design, deliver and operate the DRS across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The DMO will be responsible for the entire lifecycle of the scheme: managing logistics, financial flows, fraud prevention, and regulatory compliance to ensure high return rates and system efficiency. It will also serve as the central interface between government, industry and the public – building trust and transparency while ensuring the environmental and economic goals of the scheme are met.
This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to:
* build a national system from the ground up
* shape a model of collaboration between government, industry and consumers
* lead a scheme that could process billions of items and generate £5B+ annually.
The UK DRS is scheduled to launch in October 2027 across England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, covering PET plastic bottles and steel/aluminium cans (excluding glass), with containers sized between 150ml and 3 litres included in scope. The UK DRS will significantly impact beverage producers and retailers – requiring producer registration, new product labelling, and payment of fees, while retailers must operate return points unless exempt and register with the DMO.
Operating initially as a hands-on start-up, the DMO will scale from an implementation oriented project organisation into a full operational entity over the next two years. We are building the team that will make this possible — starting with a strong foundation in people, culture, and organisational design.
www.UKDMO.co.uk
Seniority level
* Mid-Senior level
Employment type
* Full-time
Job function
* Sales and Business Development
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