NPD Technologist

manucomm recruitment; Bristol; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job description

NPD Technologist
Food Manufacturing
Bristol
£28-36K DOE

My client, an award-winning and successful company, is looking to recruit a NPD Technologist / New Product Technologist / Product Development Technologist for their modern food innovation centre based in Bristol. This family business has more than 30 years of award-winning experience in creating, rolling out, and managing bespoke customer food-on-the-move solutions to blue-chip and smaller food companies.

Responsibilities:

1. Driving development of quality and safe products from blue sky to launch, considering specific product parameters and customer requirements.
2. Ensuring ingredient/product information is accurate, up-to-date, and consistent in the NPD system.
3. Understanding project critical paths and implications of deviations.
4. Building relationships with manufacturers, understanding capabilities, and spending time on-site with their development teams to create exciting products efficiently, following the products through to launch and beyond.
5. Coordinating sample requests, overseeing product processes, and conducting organoleptic and shelf-life evaluations across product ranges and applications, including sign-off with the Food Safety Team.
6. Generating product labeling in compliance with relevant legislation, proofreading from design to printing.
7. Liaising and communicating with internal and external stakeholders throughout the launch process.
8. Supporting continuous improvement by identifying innovative ideas and ingredient opportunities that maximize cost savings and enhance business efficiency.
9. Generating internal project documentation during the development process, such as product information sheets, product labeling sheets, trial forms, and post-launch reviews.
10. Generating external project documentation with relevant stakeholders throughout the development process, using different media types, including shelf edge labels, allergen matrices, manuals, and QAS documents.
11. Attending factory trials and product launches at various locations across the UK and Ireland, minimizing food waste from trials and capturing data while in attendance.
12. Assisting in sending samples for customer requests, photography, or external events.
13. Being active in hosting customer visits, setting up product displays, and other supporting actions.
14. Investigating new food trends and competitor activity from local to global levels and feeding back to the central team to share knowledge.
15. Taking positive steps to engage in discussions, opportunities, and actions to minimize environmental impacts internally and externally for the benefit of all.

Qualifications:

1. NPD, New Product Development experience in a Food/Drink manufacturing environment.
2. Computer literate, particularly in Excel.
3. Excellent organizational skills and a natural can-do attitude.
4. Relishes working in a fast-paced environment in a hands-on capacity, independently and as part of a team.
5. Can quickly grasp and adapt to new software with ease.
6. Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
7. A valid UK driving license is essential if required to drive to suppliers/clients or between offices.
8. A strong interest in food outside of work and awareness of market trends.

Key Words: Innovation, NPD Technologist, NPD Development, Graduate NPD

This role is commutable from Taunton, Bridgwater, Bristol, Weston Super Mare, Gloucester, Cardiff, Wales, Newport, Chippenham, Bath, and Bristol.