A rare opportunity to join a global blue-chip snacking brand in a pivotal Senior NPD Manager role. This position sits at the forefront of innovation within the savoury snacking category, focusing on products such as crisps, crackers, seasonings, and other flavour-led snacks.

Savoury snacking experience is essential, as you'll lead the development of new products from concept through to launch, ensuring alignment with brand strategy, consumer trends, and commercial objectives. You’ll also manage and develop a team of talented NPD professionals, driving a high-performance culture and fostering creativity and excellence.

With market-leading salaries and benefits packages, and significant headroom for progression, this is an ideal role for someone looking to make an impact at a global level while continuing to grow in a fast-paced and ambitious environment.

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You will be responsible for, but not limited to:

• Take full accountability for all technical aspects of product design and the successful delivery of developments to market, ensuring projects meet expected standards of quality, cost, and timing. Projects typically involve significant recipe development, capital investment in manufacturing lines, and the implementation of new processes.
• Work collaboratively with cross-functional teams to identify, build, and deliver effective solutions to defined technical challenges, ensuring alignment with the broader project objectives.
• Translate commercial briefs into clear technical responses, completing all necessary documentation including Acorn and Stage & Gate processes, and converting these inputs into structured Product Development Programmes.
• Define and manage resource needs within the design team, while also proposing additional technical support from other departments as required to meet project goals.
• Identify and assess technical hurdles early in the process, compiling risk assessments and contingency plans, and proactively communicating any project concerns—whether functional or non-functional—to the Product Design Lead or Project Manager.
• Ensure the timely and accurate completion of all project documentation, with continuous monitoring and appropriate follow-up actions where necessary.
• Oversee the completion of all technical gate requirements at each development stage, ensuring that ingredient specifications, product specifications, HARA documentation, and product quality attributes are delivered on time, delegating tasks to project team members where appropriate.
• Lead the development of bench samples, and plan, manage, and execute pilot plant and factory trials (internally or with external partners), including presenting samples to marketing for feedback and approval.
• Ensure that all work is performed in a safe, hygienic manner and in line with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) relevant to factory or bakery environments.
• Monitor trial budgets across projects, tracking phased spend, maintaining cost tracking documentation, and regularly reviewing financials with the line manager to ensure effective budget management.
• Finalise product specifications and ensure a smooth transition of the development to factory production, followed by a thorough post-launch review to capture learnings and ensure product performance.
• Contribute actively to wider innovation strategy by supporting concept development and proactively driving new product development initiatives.
• Provide strong leadership by managing, mentoring, and empowering team members, ensuring both personal and technical development needs are met and evaluated through performance appraisals. Act as a role model, upholding high standards of work, behaviour, and professionalism.
• Collaborate with colleagues to maintain product development facilities to high standards of hygiene and safety, applying lean manufacturing principles and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
• Maintain and action personal development plans to ensure ongoing growth, while also sharing knowledge and acting as a technical mentor across the team to minimise risk and support successful project execution.
• Take technical ownership of multiple products or brands, acting as the primary point of contact for the product development function and ensuring that standards are upheld throughout the lifecycle of each project.

‍What's required?

• Proven experience working across multiple product categories such as snacks, cakes, sweet and savoury biscuits, or confectionery, in either a technical or commercial capacity, demonstrating a broad understanding of varied product types and market demands.
• A validated track record in product development, including the successful delivery of a diverse portfolio of projects. Some of these would have involved overcoming significant technical challenges or the commissioning and installation of new manufacturing equipment.
• Experience in leading cross-functional project teams, ensuring alignment of objectives and the effective coordination of tasks to deliver projects on time and within scope.
• Strong project management skills, with a solid understanding of the responsibilities and contributions of each team member throughout the development lifecycle.
• Demonstrated success in taking products from concept through to successful launch, evidencing a strong grasp of stage gate processes, trial planning, and market readiness.
• Clear experience of product development specifically within the ambient snack category, showcasing familiarity with the technical requirements and consumer expectations in this area.
• Brings creative and structured approaches to problem-solving, applying technical knowledge and innovation to find effective, commercially viable solutions.
• Confident in presenting food products professionally, with an eye for detail and an understanding of how to communicate product value through visual appeal.
• Highly driven and decisive, able to make clear, informed decisions under pressure, and committed to delivering results within tight timelines.
• Holds a basic but sound understanding of health and safety principles relevant to food manufacturing environments.
• Possesses a strong working knowledge of food legislation, ensuring all developments are compliant with current legal and regulatory standards.
• Understands brand positioning and essence, with the ability to align product development activity to broader brand strategies and key performance indicators.
• Excellent influencing and communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively and professionally in English, both written and verbal, across internal and external stakeholders.

‍What's in it for you?‍‍

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£58,000.00 - £65,000.00 per annum

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‍Do you think you fit the criteria?

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‍Want to find out more about the role?

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(ID 172)

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