PROJECT DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

PROJECT DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
£ Competitive + bonus, car allowance & benefits
Based: Gloucestershire or Northamptonshire

The Company

Our client is a well-known, privately owned, major FMCG business with a diverse product range across food and drink categories, and is one of the UK’s leading businesses in its sector.

The company’s private label division, operating via a close network of European manufacturing partners, supplies a growing portfolio of own label products across all UK trade channels.

The business is currently embarking on an exciting new business strategy with new product development and innovation at the centre of a clear vision for continued growth and future success.

A pipeline of new product development has already been identified and is at various stages of development for launch into the UK market.

The Role

To support these ambitious future growth plans the company is seeking a Project Development Manager to create and manage a stream of new business / innovation and supplier partnership opportunities across a range of ambient dessert categories.

Reporting to the Trading Controller, the role is high profile, and will have full responsibility for managing the NPD gate process for all new launches and EPD development projects, on time and within cost. You will ensure all NPD developments are insight-led, have clear positioning and drive profit forward. You will be the key point of contact for all internal stakeholders including sales, finance, supply chain and technical. You will manage the private label portfolio and build strong relationships with key manufacturing partners, working closely with key contacts across R&D, technical, logistics and finance.

The role can be based at the company’s offices in Gloucestershire or Northamptonshire with regular trade/customer visits and some occasional European travel is required, post-Covid.

About You

For this position we are looking for someone with a project development background in food or drink (ideally in own-label). Junior candidates working in NPD, marketing or technical, keen to broaden their experience, may be considered. You will need to display competencies including a successful track record of having managed key NPD projects and having brought products to market in a structured manner. You are commercially astute and a self-starter. You possess excellent stakeholder management skills in order to build strong relationships internally, with 3rd-party manufacturers and key retailers. A genuine and real passion for food would be a distinct advantage.

If you think you’ve got what it takes and are ultimately keen to develop a career with a leading, growing FMCG company, please apply below giving details of your current salary package. Alternatively, please email your CV to Maria Murphy at mariam@smithcarey.co.uk, quoting reference number MM/2176.

Closing Date for applications:  12th March 2021