Senior NPD Technologist - Food Manufacturing

SENIOR NPD TECHNOLOGIST - FOOD

As this leading branded and own label food manufacturer continues its successful journey of growth driven by innovation, it has an opening for a Senior NPD Technologist to join their successful and growing team, offering the opportunity to gain further hands-on experience in the full product development lifecycle – from concept to launch.

MAIN PURPOSE OF THE JOB

• To provide a site-based product development resource, supporting the development department with NPD, EPD, Value engineering projects as well as other business or customer related projects.
• Involved in all aspects of bringing a new product to market - from the initial concept right through to product launch.
• Exposure to different product categories such as home baking kits, noodle, rice, and pasta snack pots.
• Opportunity for further development and training.
• Work as part of a cross functional team and will liaise with Technical, Procurement, Marketing, Account and Commercial managers & Production departments. 
• Hands on experience across various retail own label customers and includes branded product development as well as exposure to the American/Australian markets.

• Taking an active development role for account briefs with senior technologist support. Including ideation, recipe development, benchmarking, coordinating taste panels and product submissions along with supporting paperwork.
• Assisting across full development process from concept through to launch – recipe make up, tasting and testing to customer requirements.
• Recipe development and reformulation to achieve a product that meets customer expectations and that is financially and technically feasible, supported by Senior NPD Technologists.
• Understand and review retailer and brand COP..
• Completing account specific documentation and project work (Sample Submission Forms, NPDTT’s, QAS’s)
• Communication with internal departments and external customer/supplier contacts where required.
• Operating internal systems and processes for costings and nutrition with accuracy.
• Researching and observing trends and ideas to bring into concept development.
• Undertaking relevant project tasks when required.
• HFSS scoring/input and calculation.
• Conducting shelf-life panels and updating relevant paperwork.
• Carry out end of life micro testing to ensure the product is safe at end of life and understand shelf-life parameters.
• Nutritional testing of new products to ensure that the nutritional composition of a new product meets the requirements of the retailers’ nutritional policies and/or fulfils nutritional claims.
• Cooking instruction development for all new products to ensure that a food to safe to consume and of a high quality for consumers when cooked.
• Collect raw materials from the factory when needed and ensure sample deliveries are located.
• Visiting retailers and shopping to support sample preparations or customer meeting refreshments as required by the business.
• Managing sample requests for various retailers and brands. Preparing and dispatching accordingly and to customer timescales.
• Respond to retailer requests for samples for testing, Brandbank, photography, exhibitions, awards etc.
• Assisting and supporting in the smooth running of internal meetings and Brand & OL presentations where products are being shown.
• Requirement to assist Senior development technologist at external customer meetings where required.
• Organise and attend factory trials and ensure output of the trial is documented and communicated to the business.
• Ensure brand integrity is maintained at all times according to business policies and procedures.  

• Experience (minimum 2 years) working in a busy NPD/Development/Innovation department in the food industry. 
• A passion for food and innovation.
• A team player with strong communication and organisational skills
• The ability to manage several projects at once and working with various teams.
• Eagerness to learn and develop in a fast-paced environment.
• Some experience or education in food science, nutrition, or a related field is a plus—but not essential.
• Experience in thermal processing would be hugely advantageous.