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Process Development Manager

Employer
Princes
Location
Liverpool city centre
Salary
Competitive
Closing date
18 Nov 2019

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Job Purpose:

Princes are investing in innovation and as such are building a central innovation team to drive innovation & NPD for our brands, our customers and our internal partners within the business.

The Role of Process Development Manager is integral in this delivery and we need you to be the processing expert within Princes – leading the way with your product and processing expertise to deliver new and exciting products to the business.

Using your previous experience, you will inspire wider NPD and commercial functions with new and exciting processing techniques as well as supporting the processing delivery of product briefs and innovation projects.

Keeping one step ahead of the competition, you will keep a close eye on global processing trends and incorporate your processing knowledge to the ever evolving consumer markets, offering creative and commercially viable processing solutions.

Ultimately you will be responsible for delivering a pipeline of ideas to be filtered across our brands and retailer partners.


Key Responsibilities:

  • In line with business strategy, develop new processing concepts and deliver processing solutions that are operationally sound.
  • Support the Head of Innovation on implementing the development of food strategy, & delivering concepts to launch.  
  • Support the Innovation & NPD Development throughout the launch procedure working closely with the development kitchen to successfully repeat bench recipes into manufacturing sites and 3rd party suppliers.
  • Work closely with the cross-functional teams (Fish, Italian, Foods, Oils and Drinks) in order to effectively deliver  robust processing solutions for new product concepts
  • Integrate processing trends and keep abreast of recent developments with respect to nutrition, food safety and new products
  • Infuse excitement, creativity and passion into our teams within Princes at all levels and functions

Dimensions:

  • Reporting into Head of Innovations
  • Regular interaction with Departments/sites/suppliers/customers

Process Development 

  • Day to day management of effective procedures to deliver fit for purpose product solutions to the business and our customers.
  • Align with supply base ensuring that Princes are ahead of the game on Product & Process Innovation.
  • Link with the Princes sector teams and drive a close relationship with them and the Princes sites.
  • Liaise with 3rd party supply base and drive development and launches with the sector teams.

Key Measurable’s:

  • Deliver a minimum of 8% of net margin ongoing on blue sky & NPD  projects
  • Deliver annual processing innovation sessions with our operations and engineering teams to educate the wider teams on processing trends and general processing knowledge.
  • Deliver robust processing solutions for the concepts from the 5 sector/brand ideation sessions.
  • Supporting the Build of an innovation and NPD pipeline, from a processing perspective, for the Fish, Italian, Foods, Oils and Drinks sectors in line with strategic priority.

Other key dimensions

  • Completion / provision of information for monthly reports
  • Completion of Product trackers for processing development
  • Engagement & support relationship with the Packaging Innovation Manager & Senior Development Chef to ensure that processing solutions are deliverable within a production environment.
  • Supplier relationship management – ensuring we have a network of suppliers to provide innovative solutions to our briefs

Conditions of Role

  • Office and factory based with work in an ambient/chilled environment
  • Working in the proposed Innovation Centre at RLB
  • Handling of food
  • Travel will be required to other sites / suppliers / customers up to 30% of time


Principle Accountabilities:

Process Development 

  • Deliver against critical path requirements of new briefs.
  • Be the processing expert as part of the internal feasibility assessment of innovation & NPD. 
  • Provide processing solutions for new products. 
  • Generate and manage the processing critical path in conjunction with the NPD Development and Project Managers. 
  • Be involved in the appropriate phases of the NPD process to ensure the correct management of the processing process as the product moves from Concept to Launch. 
  • Provision of all information in order for concept team to finalise product costings at the processing stage.
  • Deliver post-trial tasks, e.g. trial reports & nutritional testing in conjunction with the concept team.
  • Where appropriate conduct alternative supplier evaluation suitability with the support of the Senior Development Chef 
  • Ensure risk management procedures are followed
  • Responsible for managing 3rd party supply base from an innovation perspective. Challenging them on delivering new & innovative processing solutions.
  • Drive factory liaison in terms of process development, production trials, recipe manufacture, and ingredient training with plant operatives. Ensuring all concepts for new products achieves manufacturing performance by providing cost effective solutions. 
  • Asses & approve production trials with the Senior Development Chef
  • Basic product specification management in conjunction with the Senior Development Chef for handover to the NPD sector teams, Technical or 3rd  party suppliers. 
  • Supporting the Packaging Development manager, ensure that all packaging for new products delivers against customer and business expectations whilst adhering to legislative, quality, safety and environmental standards. 
  • Ensure all concepts for new products achieve manufacturing performance by providing cost effective solutions. 
  • Comply with Safety, Environmental & Quality procedures, which are part of the integrated management System.
  • Contribute to the health & safety of self and others by applying health and safety principles to the required standards whilst undertaking designated tasks.


Innovation

  • Strongly influence and shape the customer’s perception of the company as a forward thinking innovator with regards to processing.
  • Proactively investigate innovative and new processing solutions for new and existing product lines.
  • Take the lead in developing and promoting new processing innovation
  • Identify and visit new potential suppliers that can help us achieve our goals of excellence in processing & product innovation.


Qualifications/Experience/Personal Attributes:

  • Of degree level, or equivalent, you’ll have minimum 5 years’ experience of working within food manufacturing and leading a team. 
  • You will already have the necessary food science or micro biological qualifications and be competent in the use of customer technical databases 
  • Previous experience in NPD/Process/Technical in a Food related company
  • Genuine passion for food, food trends across all food areas
  • Experienced knowledge of food processing across all areas. 
  • Solid knowledge of recipe costing, recipe conversions and weight and measures
  • Strong knowledge of commercial food preparation & processing equipment
  • Strong working knowledge of food safety practices and HACCP
  • Organised and systematic approach to work with the ability to prioritise effectively whilst working on multiple projects to completion
  • Flexible personality and quick learner who operates with a sense of urgency
  • Food Hygiene Certificate essential 
  • FMCG including food manufacturing.
  • Experience in effective supplier relationship management
  • Experience in presenting to retailers and wider business audiences at a multitude of levels up to directorship.
  • Practical competencies in Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint
  • Passion - believe we have the opportunity to accelerate innovation within the organisation
  • Teamwork - reaches out to peers and co-operates with all to establish a collaborative working environment
  • High Standards - expects personal performance and team performance to be nothing short of the best
  • Organisation & Planning - proven ability to remain calm while multi tasking and prioritising a conflicted workload 
  • Motivation - engages and motivates the chefs, managers and teams to always do their best to their highest standards by regular meetings, training and social activities (supplier visits/focus groups/training sessions)

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