NPD/Process Manager – to £50000 – 884453

The Company

This position will work across two sites within the group, both sites are a short distance from each other.  The product groups of both sites have synergy.  This is a newly created position created by expansion so offers the opportunity to make a high initial and ongoing impact.

The Position:

• Customer facing role managing the development process from concept to launch, owning and driving critical paths for NPD / EPD launches.
• Working on process to optimise yields and ensure consistency of both product quality as well as yields.
• Chairing quality panels with key team members (e.g. Commercial Manager, Site Directors, Technical Manager, Production Manager) to assess our product quality and compare against our competitors in the market.
• Developing full understanding of the category coupled with a desire to translate new trends and consumer needs into winning New Product Development.
• Leading the business into new profitable areas through proactive Innovation / New Product development.
• Proactively managing recipe generator software, linking in with Procurement and Commercial to ensure up to date recipe costings. Calculating meat content percentages and ensuring production is in line with target.
• Planning, coordinating and conducting all factory and kitchen trials as well as sample generation.
• Designing, recording and reporting on all new recipes and recipe amendments.
• Maintaining strong links between NPD and Factory.
• Assisting Technical Teams with generating key product submission documentation (e.g. product specifications) as well as QAS standards.
• To design and project manage the installation of a new customer-facing Development Kitchen at 2 site, working in conjunction with the Site Director.

Requirements:

• Educated to degree level in food related subject, and/or 3 years’ experience within the food industry.
• Experience of driving profitable innovation which is supported by a solid understanding of food science and manufacturing processes.
• Experience of own label NPD within major retail sector.
• Comfortable working in a customer facing role and passionate about food.
• Previous success in delivering results in a food manufacturing environment where you have developed your customer management skills as well as an articulate, engaging presentation style.
• Commercially astute, have superb project management skills with the ability to drive and influence to achieve success.
• Ability to work with production teams and understanding of the processes involved, to ensure that the factory can replicate kitchen samples
• Ability to work with and Influence stake holders both internal and external.
• Ambitious, growth minded, problem-solving, can-do attitude.
• Not afraid to roll-up sleeves and carry out tasks such as making up samples.
• Desire to grow market knowledge, to spot opportunities for product development and engage the wider team to gain buy-in.
• Ability to organise and project plan complex pieces of work involving deadlines and multiple stakeholders.
• To champion quality, set high standards in terms of work ethic and strive for getting things right first time.

Work Location:

South West of England

Our Referral Incentive:

Due to the high amount of interest that we receive for each of our roles unfortunately we cannot respond to each application individually, therefore if you do not hear back from us you have not been shortlisted for this role. Please continue to check our website for any other roles  which may be of interest.

We offer a £500 referral if you introduce someone we place – see our website for details – www.rp-ltd.com

We regret that this client is not prepared to sponsor work permit or work permit transfer applications. Candidates must be able to prove their eligibility to work in the UK