Head of NPD, Innovation & Category Development

Hybrid: 2-4 days per week across our Canary Wharf and Rainham (Essex) Offices

About us

Frive stands for Food to Thrive - we help busy people thrive not only because our meals are healthy, balanced and made with 100% whole foods/ natural ingredients, but also because they’re ready to heat and eat in minutes - saving you an hour a day, or up to 7 hours a week, for what matters most. We’re the UK’s highest-rated meal prep brand, with over 20 million meals delivered, and we’re just getting started. We work with people from all different backgrounds and communities and recognise our own biases. We strive to create a strong sense of belonging and believe we will be better equipped to achieve our goals by building a team that approaches problems from different angles, using different perspectives and experiences to solve problems. All qualified applicants will be considered and we have no regard for age, ethnicity, ability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, nationality, race, religion, or sexual orientation. The more the merrier, and together we can achieve greatness.

Mission

To make healthy eating convenient, delicious and accessible, whilst championing locally sourced and organic ingredients.

Vision

To inspire a global shift towards a healthier society by changing eating habits and restoring food to its purest form.

Values

• Take Ownership: We make independent decisions with confidence and ownership
• Be Transparent: We share information openly and with intention
• Communicate Openly: We communicate directly and honestly
• Deliver High Performance: We foster an environment that attracts, retains, and rewards high performance
• Be Agile: We encourage flexibility in our people by reducing blockers and prioritising their creativity and productivity

Your Impact

Frive is entering its next phase of growth and requires a senior, commercially minded Head of Product Development & Category to own the end-to-end food proposition. This role will provide clear leadership across NPD and category management, including menu architecture, nutrition goals, margin optimisation, and innovation, ensuring Frive’s range remains market-leading while scaling efficiently. Please note – this role owns physical product (food) innovation – our website, app and digital experiences sit elsewhere!

About You

• 7+ years’ NPD/EPD/category management experience - food is not a prerequisite, but it is desirable;
• Strong technical skills: Confident utilising qualitative and quantitative insight and financial data to inform innovation, analyse test results, and maximise commercial impact;
• Strong cross-functional project management skills and experience: Proven track record of managing and delivering a portfolio of projects and programs within a fast-paced environment;
• Strategic development and stakeholder management: Ability to spearhead the development of our NPD & EPD strategy, communicating confidently with senior stakeholders. You’ll be a confident line manager of a small, two-person team. You’ll be happy to work in a hybrid fashion (2-4 days/week in the office) across both Rainham, Essex and Canary Wharf, acting as a key bridge between marketing and operations.

Responsibilities

Product & Category Strategy

• Own the overall food proposition across all meal ranges and formats.
• Define and execute the category strategy (core meals, premium tiers, functional/nutrition-led ranges, seasonal rotations, category expansion)
• Balance innovation, customer demand, nutrition, and margin.
• Set clear product principles aligned to Frive’s brand and growth strategy.

New & Existing Product Development (NPD & EPD)

• Lead the end-to-end NPD process from insight to launch: Customer and market insight, Nutritional and culinary validation, Factory trials and scale-up, Commercial sign-off and launch.
• Build a repeatable NPD pipeline with stage-gates and clear success metrics.
• Lead on non-food physical product NPD & EPD, including packaging, unboxing experience, and merchandise.
• Drive innovation that improves LTV, retention, and average order value.
• Own menu structure, SKU count, and rotation cadence.
• Work closely with the digital product team to optimise our meal selection algorithm, building a menu to drive meal variety and customer retention.
• Ensure optimal balance between variety vs. operational complexity; innovation vs. best-sellers.
• Lead SKU rationalisation where needed to improve throughput and margin.
• Be a key stakeholder in the development of range and SKU-level pricing proposals.
• Lead and help to define Frive’s food strategy, balancing customer desires with margin impact to develop the correct marketing claims hierarchy.
• Ensure all products meet Frive’s nutritional standards and claims.
• Oversee macro accuracy, labelling, allergen compliance, and regulatory requirements.
• Partner with nutritionists to evolve ranges based on emerging health trends.

Commercial Ownership

• Own product-level P&L inputs: Recipe costing and margin targets, Portion and spec optimisation.
• Work closely with Finance to ensure NPD decisions are commercially robust.
• Balance customer value with sustainable unit economics.

Operations & Supply Chain Collaboration

• Work closely with Factory, Supply Chain, and Ops to ensure products are: Scalable, Repeatable, Efficient to manufacture.
• Lead factory trials and ensure smooth handover from NPD to BAU.
• Drive continuous improvement on yield, waste, and labour efficiency through product design.
• Act as the key point of contact between marketing and operations.

Private Medical Insurance, 25 days Holiday + Public Bonus Scheme, A discount on our amazing food, Enhanced parental leave.

What’s next?

If you are interested in learning more about the role and think this could be for you, then don’t hesitate and apply now. We look forward to hearing from you and love hearing from people who are passionate about our purpose and vision.