At a Glance
- Tasks: Support the New Food Development team from concept to launch, ensuring quality and safety.
- Company: Join a dynamic food company passionate about innovation and quality.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, hands-on experience, and a vibrant work culture.
- Other info: Exciting opportunity for growth in a fast-paced environment.
- Why this job: Gain real-world experience in food development while working with creative minds.
- Qualifications: Studying a food-related degree with project management skills.
The predicted salary is between 19350 - 23650 £ per year.
Location: Park Royal, London NW10
Job Reference: charliebighams/TP/19158/553
Number of Positions: 1
Contract Type: Fixed Term
Competitive Salary + Benefits
Working Hours: 40
Closing Date: 15/11/2026
Job Category: New Food Development
Region / Division: Park Royal; London
Are you passionate about food and eager to gain hands-on experience in the world of New Product Development? We have an exciting one-year placement opportunity where you will play a vital role in supporting our dynamic New Food Development (NFD) team from concept brief to process handover, while also contributing to various aspects of the new food development process. This role offers a unique chance to learn and grow in a fast-paced, innovative environment.
We are looking for a student placement to assist the NFD and EFD (New and Existing Food Development) teams throughout the food development process from concept to launch, as well as supporting the team on general activities and requirements.
Main Responsibilities
- Supporting the NFD and EFD team in first class concept development through to trials, launch and post-launch stages.
- Test and validate our dishes to ensure our food safety and quality are met.
- Support in preparation for, and running of, scale up trials and raw material assessments in the production kitchen.
- Prepare and organise product samples for internal presentations, external testing, photoshoots and other product submissions.
- Lead support for all general NFD/EFD team activities including change management.
- Support the kitchen team when the Kitchen Assistant is on annual leave.
Key Responsibilities
- Support the preparation of internal food tastings. Take notes and actions, ensure attendance and share outputs with necessary teams.
- Prepare product benchmarks and conduct tastings to assess all relevant food concepts to ensure we are always developing best in class food.
- Conduct raw material assessments against the specification at concept and trial stages to ensure we are selecting the best quality ingredients.
- Own the documentation of food tastings through shelf-life assessments from fresh / frozen and champion the quality standards our consumers will expect at each stage of the product life.
- Drive the generation of cooking instructions for new dishes in accordance with our food safety and quality criteria.
- Complete online research for benchmarking exercises, creating relevant tools to show the results, keeping benchmarking database up to date.
The Customer
- Support customer meetings to prepare food and take notes where required.
New and Existing Food Development
- Attend the weekly NFD and Process meetings.
- Lead all support activities to the Process Technologists in planning, preparing and conducting scale up trials in the production kitchen.
- Drive the successful completion of all product testing and sample submissions at trial stage.
- Support the NFD & EFD team with sample preparation and organisation in the production kitchen and development kitchen.
- Ensure product sample submissions are completed on time with the required documentation for testing, customer submissions and photoshoots etc.
- Support with the completion of trial paperwork, QAS, Keycards, Labels and Handover documentation.
- Assist the NFD/EFD team in raising and processing change forms for any changes to recipes or ingredients.
- Support on the running of process trials where given, working alongside process technologists to plan, and execute trial against agreed objectives.
Product Quality
- Own quality improvement projects where given and drive the planning, investigation and execution of improvement initiatives in collaboration with the Process Technologists, Technical and Operations teams.
- Attend taste panel & positive release meetings to drive Bigham's quality culture.
- Support the NFD/EFD team in completing 4, 8 & 12 week post launch review documentation.
- Support the maintenance and training of our QAS product standards to ensure these are always up to date and well understood by the site teams.
- Lead the management of Keycards keeping the Keycard Register and filing of Keycards up to date, print Keycards where required and ensuring all issued Keycards are signed off by key stakeholders.
The Ideal Candidate
Qualifications and Experience
- Working towards a food related degree.
- Experience of project management and managing timelines.
Key Skills
- Highly organised, able to manage and prioritise multiple tasks.
- Focused with excellent attention to detail.
New Product Development - Undergraduate Placement Opportunity in Acton employer: Charlie Bighams
At Charlie Bigham's Quarry Kitchen in Wells, we pride ourselves on fostering a supportive and dynamic work environment where employees can thrive. As a Packing Team Leader, you'll not only enjoy competitive pay and benefits but also have the opportunity to develop your leadership skills and advance within the company. Our commitment to quality and teamwork ensures that every team member feels valued and empowered to contribute to our success.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land New Product Development - Undergraduate Placement Opportunity in Acton
✨Get Involved in Industry Events
Don’t miss out on food science and technology conferences or local meetups! These events are prime opportunities to meet industry professionals, learn about the latest trends, and maybe even impress potential employers like Charlie Bighams with your knowledge and enthusiasm.
✨Join Food Tech Communities
Dive into online communities and forums specifically for food science and technology. Platforms like Food Science & Technology Association or even LinkedIn groups can provide access to job postings and insider tips that are tailored to our field. It's a great way to get noticed by actual hiring managers!
✨Utilise University Resources
As you’re aiming for a placement, make the most of your university's career services. They often have relationships with companies looking to hire students for placements—keep an eye out for those connections and specific application windows!
✨Make Your Passion Visible
Showcase your passion for food science and technology through projects or research you’ve done, even if they're just class assignments. Create a simple portfolio or blog to put your work out there. When you apply to Charlie Bighams, these can really help you stand out as not just a candidate, but someone who truly loves the field.
We think you need these skills to ace New Product Development - Undergraduate Placement Opportunity in Acton
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Foodie Knowledge!:For a food science technology placement, we need to see your passion for all things food-related. Use your cover letter to highlight relevant projects or coursework, like food safety or product development. Let your enthusiasm for food innovation shine through!
Get Technical with Your CV:Make sure your CV includes specific technical skills relevant to food science technology, like analytical techniques or laboratory skills. If you’ve worked with any food processing software or have hands-on experience with food quality testing, shout about it – it's what sets you apart!
Highlight Your Team Work and Communication Skills:In the food science field, teamwork is crucial! Make sure you mention any group projects or experiences you’ve had in labs or classes. Employers like Charlie Bighams want to see you can communicate effectively – especially when collaborating on projects.
Tailor Your Application for the Role:Every placement is different, so we should tailor your application to Charlie Bighams’s specific needs. Take some time to research their work and values; then weave that understanding into your cover letter and CV. It’ll show them you’re genuinely interested in contributing to their team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Charlie Bighams
✨Show Off Your Lab Skills
In the food science and technology field, hands-on lab skills are super valuable. Be ready to discuss specific techniques you've used or experiments you've conducted during your studies. If you have any relevant lab experience from your coursework, definitely bring that up!
✨Know Your Food Safety Standards
Interviews in food science often touch on regulations and safety standards like HACCP or ISO 22000. Brush up on these as they might ask you how you've applied or would apply these in your work. Showing that you're familiar with these concepts can really set us apart from other candidates!
✨Demonstrate Your Learning Agility
With this being a placement, the interviewers are likely to focus on your willingness to learn and adapt. Be ready to talk about how you've tackled challenges in your studies and how you approach new topics. We want to give them the confidence that you’ll be eager to soak up all the knowledge you can!
✨Prepare Case Studies on Food Innovation
Having a couple of real-world examples ready about recent innovations or technologies in food science can be a game-changer in your interview. Think about trends like plant-based alternatives or food preservation techniques. This shows you’re not just book smart but also up to date with industry developments, which is crucial for us in a placement role!
