NPD Manager

A driven NPD manager is required to be part of a large team within a pizza manufacturing company, providing high quality products to the UKs leading retailers. You will be part of a multi-functional New Product Development team, delivering innovative products to key customers. You will work closely with process and packaging departments as well as the Senior NPD Manager to deliver exciting products that are in line with both company strategy and customer requirements. You will work on a wide range of projects from concept through to launch, so excellent organisational skills are essential. This is a great opportunity to develop all round NPD skills in a supportive and friendly environment.

Being passionate about food with a creative flare is what this job is all about. Our customers demand a high volume of product development, giving us the opportunity to be creative. We attend and organise inspiration trips and innovation days to help inspire and build relationships with our customers. Presenting our ideas, both internally and externally, is another key area to this role, so good presentation and communication skills are vital. Ideally, you will have a food based degree and you will be able to demonstrate success in product development and have delivered exceptional products in a manufacturing environment.

Stateside Foods is shaped by those we recruit; where will you take us in the future?

An overview of the role:-

• Keeping up to date with global trends, restaurants trends and retailers launches
• Planning inspiration trips targeted to deliver market leading development ideas
• Building effective relationships with all teams and participating in team meetings
• Working with other departments to deliver the customer briefs
• Ensuring the smooth transition of new concepts and related processes through to manufacture
• Ensuring project files are completed detailing the project status from concept through to launch. Ensuring that all BRC and retailer requirements are documented
• Providing appropriate recipe and product information, via internal systems to enable costings and customer specifications to be completed
• Liaising closely with Technical Services, Quality Assurance, Manufacturing, Purchasing and Engineering to launch products successfully and on time
• Sourcing of new raw materials in conjunction with purchasing and technical ensuring appropriate supplier approval, raw material specifications, and presence of any allergens
• Co-ordinate and prepare samples for submissions to the retailer
• Lead product submission meetings at the retailer with the developer, buyer and technical teams
• Responsible for co-ordinating factory trials, pre and post-trial meetings and final factory sign off
• Completion of shelf life, nutritional analysis and organoleptic assessment over life
• Generation of customer specific photographic quality standards (QAS) to include internal and customer sign off
• Attend photography shoots to ensure photographs are representative
• Co-ordinating pre-production runs and product launches alongside manufacturing
• Co-ordinate the post launch review meetings and facilitate production handover/sign off
• Manage day to day activity relating to customers account(s)
• Adhere to the company’s H&S policies and procedures
• Adhere to the company’s Hygiene policies and procedures