New Product Development Technologist

Job Title: New Product Development Technologist

Key Skills: Organisation, communication, diligence, and presentation

Location: South-East Nottingham

Our client has built a reputation in food production using century-old expertise alongside innovative techniques to make their products truly unique.

A vacancy has arisen for a New Product Development Technologist at their South East Nottingham production site. Reporting to the NPD Manager, the role will ideally be suited to a highly motivated and creative individual, with a strong interest in food trends and a good understanding of the product development process within the food manufacturing industry.

The Benefits:

• Excellent working environment
• Generous company pension scheme
• 25 days holiday + Bank Holidays
• Opportunity for progression
• Immediate start
• Free parking on-site

The Role:

• Analysing customer briefs, identifying development opportunities and SKU gaps
• Developing new and innovative blended cheese recipes and formats, producing samples in the development kitchen, organising taste panels, redeveloping where required, and submitting to the customer
• Completing all relevant product submission documents such as submission forms
• Working with suppliers to develop new secondary packaging concepts, including cartons and sleeves
• Liaising with new and existing ingredient suppliers, ordering samples, and gathering the required commercial and technical information, quotes, MOQs, and specifications
• Keeping up to date with new ingredient offerings
• Leading some customer product submission meetings whether online or in-person
• Deputising for the NPD Manager where required
• New Ingredient Approval – working with the Purchasing Manager during ingredient tenders, creating comparative samples using new vs existing ingredients, and organising blind taste panels to review with the wider team
• Competitor Benchmarking – organising periodical blind taste panels to compare our products vs the wider market
• Customer Requests – producing samples in the development kitchen to fulfil customer requests i.e., for product photography, press-showcases, or features
• Food Trends – maintaining an awareness of food & drink trends through research and attending food shows, generating reports to aid future development opportunities

Our Ideal Candidate:

• Highly creative and self-motivated individual with a keen eye for detail and a strong desire to get the job done
• Strong team working skills with an appetite to work cross-functionally within a close-knit team
• A highly organised individual who can listen, retain information, and keep up-to-date with multiple development requirements
• Well-developed communication skills are essential. The right candidate will develop and maintain positive working relationships with important customer and supplier contacts
• STEM-related degree or similar level of education is desirable but not essential
• Ability to demonstrate extensive experience within the product development discipline in food manufacturing
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications (Excel, Word, and Outlook).