Product Developer- Food & Beverage

About Us

Since launching in 2014 with the creation of the first shelf-stable cold brew, Minor Figures has focused on creating innovative, plant-based products for a more delicious future.

Our signature Barista Oat range can be found on the bar at over 10,000 independent coffee shops around the world and our full lineup of products can be found in thousands of stores across 4 continents. Minor Figures has been B Corp Certified since 2022.

We have big plans for the future of MF. As we continue to grow at a rapid pace, we want to welcome curious, free-spirited, bold thinkers to help us continue to create and evolve. We value individuality and a team made up of people who bring a diverse range of experiences and perspectives to the table. If you share our love for the unexpected and you want every day you spend at work to be a chance to flex your creativity and test-drive your maddest ideas, we’d love to hear from you.

About The Role

The future must be innovative, it must be delicious and it must be sustainable. We are building a team to create that.

Product quality and innovation are core to the success of our business. This role will support the product testing, evaluation and innovation process. You will work closely with our Head of product development to develop new products and improve our existing ones.

What You’ll Be Responsible For

Minor Figures are onto something here, but it’s not meant to be simple. This isn’t a role for the straight-forward. The trajectory will change often.

But here’s an overview of what we’d like you to be doing:

1. Create exciting new product concepts built on consumer insight and industry trends
2. Work on projects to continuously improve our current products
3. Work across the business and with our suppliers to ensure product success
4. Being a custodian of product quality. Ensuring all products meet quality, safety and environmental standards
5. Leading the delivery of projects as part of a cross functional team with strong communication skills and stakeholder management
6. Creating new product with innovative ingredients that you have sourced and qualified
7. This role is ideal for someone with a strong technical background in liquid beverage formulation.

About Your Team

You will be working as part of our small but outstanding Product development team who develop all of our products for all global regions. You’ll be reporting to our Head of Product Development.

About You

We hire humans, not machines, and our team is made up of people who will bring the energy, are eager to learn, and embrace every day being different.

We’re big on collaboration and we want everyone on the team to take pride in their work. You’ll thrive here if you adapt easily to change, face challenges head-on, and love to jump right in and figure it out as you go along. Whether you’re in the office, on site visits, or WFH, you support your teammates and you’re comfortable asking for support when you need it yourself.

Approach every day like it’s day one, stay open-minded, and (as always) have fun with it.

You will have your finger on the pulse when it comes to new food and beverage trends. You know what young, bold and socially conscious consumers want from their products. You will be a self-starter comfortable working on your own or as part of a team, be comfortable problem solving, communicating, project managing and communicating with everyone.

Key Skills And Experience Needed Include

1. A Food science qualification and a minimum of 5+ years of relevant industry experience in product development.
2. Strong knowledge of beverage formulation, ingredient functionality, production processes within an FMCG environment. Knowledge within plant based dairy alternatives is preferred.
3. Coffee knowledge is advantageous whether that be as a barista or any other part of the on-trade.
4. Understanding of product development processes with experience in delivering successful concepts from formulation through to factory commercialization.
5. Strong sensory skills, understanding of coffee sensory evaluation is a plus.
6. Strong analytical and problem solving skills.
7. Demonstrating resilience and adaptability in the pursuit of challenging goals and ambiguity.
8. Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple projects and priorities internally and with supply partners.
9. Creativity and experimenting mindset. Passion for food and delivering product excellence with curiosity to explore the unknown to unlock innovation.

What’s In It For You

We realise that a job is more than just the take home salary each month. So what are you really getting?

And, as part of the Minor Figures team, you’ll have the opportunity to invest in the business, with the option to buy shares in the company at an agreed price. Having skin in the game and really contributing to our success. Because it’s you and us all that do make this all happen.

But of course, we look after you in the other ways that you’d expect:

1. 25 days holiday allowance in addition to bank holidays
2. Healthcare coverage via Equipsme, which includes GP access, EAP / stress support, dental & optical cash plan and option to upgrade
3. Statutory 3% pension contribution through Nest
4. Employee share options scheme, available to all full time employees.
5. 1 day paid leave to support a cause of your choice through volunteering or activism
6. Unlimited access to Calm app
7. Flexible working to meet the needs of the role
8. Cycle to work scheme
9. 30% discount on products from our online shop
10. All the free coffee and cold brew you can drink!
11. Vegan, nut-free lunches are available.

YOUR COMMITMENT

You’ll be based out of our office in East London. Work from home flexibility is supported but the office will be your base and allow you to bring the energy and creativity to help educate and inspire our team. Due to the nature of the role you will be working on site for at least 3 days each week, more if a specific project requires it.

The hours of work are 9am - 5.30pm.

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

At Minor Figures everyone is welcome. We are committed to cultivating and maintaining a culture that is inclusive and diverse. We celebrate differences and continually support all members of our company to be proud of who they are. In recruiting for our team, we pride ourselves on equal employment opportunities regardless of gender, sex, age, disability, race, religion, sexuality or social class. We hire the best people based on an evaluation of their abilities and effectiveness, nothing else.

What’s Next

You’re sold? Are you ready to hit send?

Submit a CV and any supporting documents to us & tell us why you want to work with us at Minor Figures.

Just a heads up, we’re not a traditional team of recruiters and hiring managers. We want to see the human version of you, not just the black & white copy. Our need to find great people needs to be met with a fun and positive recruitment journey, so tell us more about you, however the heck you want.

For Recruitment Agencies

We value the impact & work recruitment agencies have & do. We have people that have worked within & relied heavily on the support of agencies in their career. That said however, we’d really appreciate it if we didn’t receive any unsolicited or out of the blue applications.