Good questions.
Straight answers for employers and candidates on how we work, what we cover and what to expect.
General
TRG FMCG is a specialist recruitment business for fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), known as consumer packaged goods (CPG) in the US. We recruit commercial, product and engineering people for brands and manufacturers in the UK and the US, from experienced specialists to directors. TRG FMCG is a trading name of The Resource Group Limited.
An FMCG recruitment agency finds, assesses and introduces candidates for roles at consumer goods brands and manufacturers. A specialist agency knows the channels, categories and factory environments, so it can reach people who aren't actively looking, judge their experience properly and advise employers on pay and the market. For candidates, it gives access to roles that are often filled before they are advertised.
Commercial roles such as sales and key account management, category and shopper marketing, revenue growth management and commercial leadership; product roles such as brand marketing, NPD and innovation, R&D and packaging; and engineering roles such as process, automation and controls, maintenance and reliability, and engineering leadership.
Yes. We work only in FMCG and consumer goods: food, drink, household and personal care. That focus means we understand grocery and wholesale channels, retailer relationships, food safety and the realities of manufacturing sites, and we can talk to candidates and hiring managers in their own language.
They describe the same industry. FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) is the term used in the UK and Europe; CPG (consumer packaged goods) is the US term. Both cover food, beverages, household and personal care products sold at high volume. Job titles differ more than the work: a UK key account manager is often a national account manager in the US.
Across the UK and the US, including roles that cross between the two markets. In the UK that means commercial centres and manufacturing sites nationwide; in the US, customer teams near retailer headquarters as well as plants and R&D centres. See our UK FMCG recruitment and US CPG recruiting pages for the roles we cover in each market.
A specialist works one sector every day, so they already know the candidates, the employers and what offers are landing. They can tell a strong key account manager from a confident one, or a PLC engineer with food experience from one without. That usually means a shorter, better shortlist and more honest advice on pay and the market.
Use the form on our contact page or email info@trgfmcg.com. We reply to contact messages within one working day. Employers can also submit a vacancy directly, and candidates can register a CV; we answer applications and registrations within two working days.
Hiring with us
Permanent recruitment, executive search for senior and leadership roles, contract and interim hiring, and multi-hire team builds for new sites, lines or functions. We cover commercial, product and engineering roles in the UK and the US. See hiring with us for how each service works.
We agree a timeline at the briefing stage, based on the role, the market, the package and your interview availability, and we keep you updated throughout. Scarce roles such as controls engineers or revenue growth managers can take longer than mainstream commercial roles, and we will tell you that honestly at the start.
Fees are agreed in writing before we start and depend on the service. Most permanent roles are on a success basis, so you pay only when you hire. Retained options are available for senior, confidential or multi-hire searches. We will explain the options at the briefing stage so you can choose the one that suits the role.
Agency fees in the UK and US are usually a percentage of the hire's first-year salary, and vary with seniority, exclusivity and whether the search is contingency or retained. Our fees are agreed in writing before any work starts, with no hidden costs. Brief us and we'll set out the terms for your role.
With contingency recruitment you pay only if you hire someone the agency introduced. With retained search you pay part of the fee upfront to secure a dedicated, structured search, usually with a market map and progress reports. Retained suits senior, confidential or hard-to-fill roles; contingency suits most specialist and mid-level hires.
Yes. We place interim managers and contractors for cover, projects and change programmes, from interim commercial and marketing leaders to contract engineers for line installations and shutdowns. Tell us the scope, duration and budget, and we'll confirm whether an interim or a permanent hire is the better fit.
Yes. You can brief one partner for roles in both markets. We understand how titles, pay structures and hiring practices differ between UK FMCG and US CPG, which helps when you are building a team across the Atlantic or launching a brand in a new market. See our UK and US pages.
Yes. Multi-hire team builds are one of our services. We work with you on the structure, sequence the hires so leaders are in place first, and run the engineering, production and technical roles as one project. See FMCG engineering manager recruitment for the leadership roles involved.
What happens if a permanent hire leaves early is covered in our written terms of business, which we agree with you before any work starts. Ask about it at the briefing stage and we will explain exactly how it works for your role, so there are no surprises later.
Use the vacancy form or email info@trgfmcg.com with the job title, location, package, must-have experience and your interview availability. A consultant will call you to complete the brief and agree the approach. The more specific the brief, the faster and more accurate the shortlist.
Finding a role
No. Our service is always free for candidates. Employers pay our fees, so you never pay to be registered, introduced to a role, coached through interviews or helped with an offer. If anyone asks you to pay for a job introduction, that is not how reputable recruiters work.
Never. We always discuss a role with you and get your permission before your CV goes to an employer. You will know the company name, the role and the package first, and you can say no at any stage. Your details are stored securely and handled under UK GDPR.
Yes. Many of the people we place were not actively looking. Registering means we can tell you about the right role when it comes up, rather than you searching job boards. Tell us what would make a move worthwhile and we will only call you about roles that meet it.
Choose your disciplines and market, add your email and confirm your subscription from the email we send you. We will then email you new roles that match as they are published on our jobs page. You can change your preferences or unsubscribe at any time from the link in every alert.
We answer every application and CV registration within two working days. If your experience matches a live role, a consultant will call you to talk it through. If not, we will tell you and keep your details, with your permission, for future roles that fit.
The common routes are graduate schemes at large FMCG companies, entry-level field sales or account executive roles, assistant brand manager roles, and technical routes such as food science degrees or engineering apprenticeships. Moving across from retail, agency, finance or other manufacturing sectors is also common. Our candidates page explains how we can help.
Commercial roles need numeracy, negotiation and comfort with sales and shopper data. Brand roles need consumer insight and P&L understanding. Technical roles need food science or packaging knowledge and an understanding of manufacturing. Engineering roles need mechanical, electrical or PLC skills. Across all of them, employers value pace, resilience and evidence of results.
It depends on role, seniority, location and package. Our salary guides set out indicative ranges from published data for UK and US roles, including what typically sits on top of base pay, such as bonus, car allowance or shift premium. A consultant can tell you what offers in your discipline look like now.
Yes. When we put you forward for a role, we will give you feedback on your CV, brief you on the company and the interviewers, and debrief you after each stage. Our article on writing a brand manager CV shows the results-led approach FMCG hiring managers look for.
UK & US
We can talk you through both markets and the roles that may suit you. Visa sponsorship depends on the employer and the role, and we will be clear about it from the start. Our guide to moving from UK FMCG to US CPG covers the main differences and routes.
Yes, where there is a realistic route. Most US employers hire people who already have work authorization, so the strongest options are usually an internal transfer within a multinational, a role with a UK-owned US business, or an employer willing to sponsor. We will tell you honestly which roles are open to you and which are not.
Yes. We recruit for CPG brands and manufacturers in the US across sales, category, revenue management, brand, R&D, packaging and plant engineering roles. US roles are described in US terms, such as national account manager, food scientist, packaging engineer and controls engineer. See US CPG recruiting for more.
Yes. Recruitment works across borders as long as the recruiter understands the local market, titles, pay structures and employment practices. We work both markets every day, so employers can use one partner for UK and US hiring, and candidates can get advice on both sides of a move.
Yes. UK roles are shown in pounds and US roles in dollars. Packages are structured differently too: UK commercial roles often include a car allowance, while US packages place more weight on bonus, health insurance and retirement plans. Our salary guides explain the differences.
Some commercial and product roles are hybrid or field-based, with time in the office, at customers or in the field. Most engineering, technical and production roles are site-based because the work happens on the line. Each advert states the working pattern, and we will confirm the detail before you apply.
All of the UK, including major FMCG commercial centres around London and the South East, and manufacturing clusters across the Midlands, the North West, Yorkshire, the North East, Scotland and Wales. Many commercial roles are national or field-based. See UK FMCG recruitment for details.
In both markets, controls and automation engineers, multi-skilled maintenance engineers and experienced revenue growth managers are among the hardest roles to fill. The IET's 2025 skills survey found 76% of UK engineering employers struggle to recruit for key roles. Commercial roles on major grocery and retail accounts are also competitive.