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Salaries and Costs
Edinburgh’s FMCG pay bands reflect a city with strong retail and visitor trade, so setting budgets early helps. Brand Manager roles in Scotland often sit around £36,000 to £48,000, stretching to £58,000 for proven ownership of national accounts or activation. Supply Chain Planner pay commonly ranges from £29,000 to £38,500 depending on ERP experience and exposure to S&OP. Warehouse and production jobs in the city tend to land between £10 and £13 per hour, with nights and freezer work attracting uplifts. Employers using recruitment agencies or staffing agencies should forecast permanent recruitment fees in the 15 to 22 percent band, agree rebate terms in writing, and factor temp agency costs that cover pay rates, holiday pay, pension, NI and the agency margin. Clear salary bands speed time to hire and cut renegotiation later.
Qualifications
FMCG recruiters and recruitment consultants in Edinburgh will ask for job-ready proof points. Food Safety and Hygiene certificates are common for production and packing staff, HACCP knowledge is valued for QA and NPD, and RTITB or ITSSAR forklift licences support warehouse moves. Sales and category roles benefit from Nielsen or IRI literacy, trade maths, and solid P&L awareness. Degree routes help for brand, insights and technical paths, though many entry routes remain open for jobseekers with shopfloor learning and strong references. For alcohol brands in the city, a personal licence helps in shopper marketing or experiential work, and right to work checks are standard for all hires.
Local Hiring Challenges
Edinburgh’s labour market is tight in peak seasons, with retail, visitor venues and events pulling from the same workforce. Commuter links bring relief yet add competition, Haymarket and Waverley feed candidates into the city centre while the tram improves access for early and late shifts. Employers near Leith, Sighthill, Newbridge and South Gyle report pressure for drivers, warehouse staff and multi skilled engineers, so quick interviews and same day offers work well. Retention improves when sites publish rotas early, confirm overtime rates, and give clear routes to permanent contracts.
Key Sectors and Employers in the Region
Food and drink has visible badges across the city, whisky visitor experiences, well known oat and bakery names, and chilled logistics through the Port of Leith. Supermarket head offices, convenience groups, and foodservice suppliers add steady demand for merchandisers, delivery staff, and national account support. Edinburgh Park and South Gyle host offices that house marketing, finance and supply chain teams, with Newbridge and Sighthill covering light manufacturing and distribution. Recruiters with FMCG desks understand these clusters and can introduce shortlists that fit your postcode and shift pattern.
Industry Specific Training and Licences
Production and QA teams benefit from Level 2 Food Safety, allergen awareness and basic HACCP, with Level 3 for supervisors. Forklift certificates, powered pallet truck training and manual handling refreshers keep warehouse teams safe and productive. Drivers may need CPC updates, tachograph understanding and clean records. For sampling and retail activation, alcohol awareness and venue risk checks keep events compliant. Employment firms can arrange short courses before start dates, which protects quality and reduces early attrition.
Common Job Roles Agencies Recruit For
FMCG recruitment agencies in Edinburgh handle a blend of shopfloor and office roles. Typical hiring covers production operatives, warehouse operatives, pickers and FLT drivers, plus maintenance engineers, shift managers and hygiene leads. On the commercial side, you will see brand executives, assistants and managers, shopper and trade marketers, national account executives, category analysts, demand and supply planners, logistics coordinators and customer service. Executive search is used for heads of sales, head of operations, plant managers and senior technical managers.
Seasonal Trends and Workforce Planning
Sales peaks link to public holidays, summer tourism and the winter festival season, so temp agencies are busy from May through September, then again from October into January. Brands schedule promo cycles with retailers, events bring late order spikes, and port calls and cruise trade lift volumes in food and drink. Build pools early, give agencies forecasted headcounts, and reserve assessment slots so jobseekers can be cleared quickly. Temporary, permanent and contract work can be blended, with temps to perm pathways helping retention.
Regional or Geographic Variations
City centre sites hire customer facing staff for premium brand experiences, while outer estates favour shifts that match transport patterns. South Gyle and Edinburgh Park benefit from tram stops and rail links, Newbridge suits drivers and warehouse teams close to the bypass, and Leith supports logistics and beverage roles tied to the waterfront. Local employers who advertise start and finish times that match first and last tram or bus services draw wider candidate pools and cut lateness.
Entry Requirements and Progression
For entry level jobs, reliable attendance, numeracy, and health and safety awareness carry weight. Agencies help jobseekers register with an agency by gathering ID, proof of address and reference details, then booking an induction. Progression is realistic, packers move to line leaders, warehouse staff step into inventory or transport planning, commercial assistants grow into account handling or brand. Employers who publish skills matrices and review pay every six months see better retention.
Quick Facts and FAQs
Do FMCG recruiters in Edinburgh cover both temps and perms.
Yes, most agencies place temporary, permanent and contract work across production, warehouse, sales and head office.
What do recruitment fees cover.
For permanent hires the fee covers sourcing, screening and offer management, for temps the agency costs cover wages, holiday pay, pension, NI and the margin.
How fast can I hire staff for peak season.
With pre booked assessments and right to work cleared pools, same week starts are common.
Can candidates change shifts after starting.
Many businesses offer set patterns or rotating shifts, discuss options at interview to avoid rota issues.
What pay rates attract night staff in the city.
Many sites add uplifts on top of base rates, publish these in adverts to widen the net.
Which areas are best for public transport access.
City centre, Haymarket, Leith, South Gyle and Edinburgh Park perform well, with tram and rail links improving punctuality.
Do agencies cover executive search for FMCG.
Yes, senior appointments such as heads of sales, plant leadership and technical directors are handled by specialist executive search teams.
How Agencies Support Employers and Candidates
Local FMCG recruiters work with businesses across the city, helping employers hire staff quickly and helping candidates find employees who match their skills and shift needs. Recruitment agencies provide shortlists, temp agencies keep compliant payroll and rota cover, and recruitment consultants advise on pay rates, recruitment fees and agency costs before interviews begin. For jobseekers, registration is simple, upload documents, confirm availability and be ready to start. For employers, a clear brief and prompt feedback brings faster offers, stronger engagement and better retention across your workforce and labour market.