R & D Technologist

NPD Professional: 12-month FTC opportunity - immediate start available!

We are actively recruiting an experienced NPD professional for an industry leading, global, multi-site Food Manufacturer initially on a 12-month fixed term contract

Candidates must be experienced in guiding concepts from initial retailer briefings, kitchen brainstorming through to successful factory trial & market launch.

This is the perfect opportunity for a Developer with a passion for developing delicious, indulgent, luxury products but who also enjoy embracing advanced texture NPD science with smart ingredient swaps to create equally delicious products which are high protein, allergy-free, low salt but still offer customers a healthy indulgence experience.

• Developing and refining new & existing recipes.
• Manage & troubleshoot product issues based on feedback or production inconsistencies.
• Kitchen concept & development of new products in line with specific retailer briefings.
• Consistently researching relevant food industry trends and competitor products.
• Managing recipes, updating product specifications, costings & maintaining accurate product launch documentation.
• Play an active part with factory trials, pre-productions, and launches.
• Attending taste panels & developing close working relationships with both technical & production teams.
• Confident in adapting recipes for scale-up & training new recipes to production colleagues.

• Proven NPD manufacturing experience is essential, with a successful track record of taking products from concept through to launch.
• Formal qualification in Food Science or Culinary arts.
• A passion for bakery & patisserie would also be advantageous.
• Experience of Excel and other food management/costing software.
• An understanding of production and scaling is essential along with experience in delivering training production team on new recipes.
• Excellent communication/interpersonal skills, a keen eye for detail as well as strong organisational & planning skills
• Thrives in a fast, paced manufacturing environment, natural problem solving ability combined with proactive & hands-on approach.
• The ability to manage busy diaries & plan your time & day effectively to successfully deliver on both factory production needs and development projects.

Pay: £40,000.00 per year

• Company pension
• Employee discount
• On-site parking
• Sick pay

• East Midlands; either reliably commute or plan to relocate before start date

• Do you have professional experience in New Product Development from initial concept through to launch? If yes, please give examples.
• How many years of experience do you have working in a professional kitchen, bakery, or food production environment? If yes, where?
• Do you have experience training or coaching a production team on new recipes or processes? If yes, please give examples.
• What is your current availability and/or notice period?