Senior NPD Technologist

This is a senior, sleeves-rolled-up NPD role for someone who understands that great bakery products are born at the intersection of craft, commercial reality, and technical discipline.

You’ll take ownership of the end-to-end NPD lifecycle—idea to launch—working closely with commercial, technical, operations, and supply chain teams to deliver profitable, scalable, retailer-ready bakery products.

If you love bakery, thrive under pressure, and can turn a brief into a product that actually survives factory scale-up and retailer scrutiny, you’ll feel right at home

Key Responsibilities

Product Development & Innovation

* Lead the development of new bakery products across biscuits, morning goods or seasonal ranges (depending on business focus).

* Translate customer and retailer briefs into technically sound, commercially viable products.

* Drive continuous improvement of existing products to optimise quality, cost, shelf life, and process efficiency.

* Champion ingredient functionality, recipe optimisation, and process robustness.

Customer & Commercial Interface

* Act as the technical NPD lead on key customer accounts.

* Support customer presentations, product submissions, tastings, and trials.

* Balance innovation with margin—because great ideas still need to make money.

Factory Trials & Scale-Up

* Lead factory trials from bench to full-scale production.

* Work closely with Operations and Engineering to ensure smooth handovers and repeatable processes.

* Identify and mitigate risks early—no surprises on launch day.

Technical & Compliance

* Ensure all products meet food safety, quality, legal, and retailer standards.

* Support shelf-life testing, nutritional compliance, and specifications.

* Work collaboratively with Technical teams to ensure seamless sign-off.

Mentorship & Leadership

* Coach and support junior NPD technologists.

* Set standards, share best practice, and raise the technical bar across the team.

* Be a calm, credible presence when timelines tighten and pressure rises.

About You

You’re commercially sharp, technically credible, and bakery-obsessed—in the best possible way.

You’ll bring:

* Proven experience in bakery NPD within a food manufacturing environment.

* Strong understanding of bakery processes, ingredients, and functionality.

* Experience working with major UK retailers or branded customers.

* Confidence leading trials, customer meetings, and cross-functional projects.

* The ability to manage multiple projects without dropping the ball