At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead innovative food product development from concept to launch in a dynamic environment.
- Company: Join a leading food manufacturer committed to quality and innovation.
- Benefits: Secure employment, ongoing training, staff discounts, and a supportive team culture.
- Other info: Hands-on role with opportunities for personal growth and industry exposure.
- Why this job: Shape the future of food products while collaborating with diverse teams.
- Qualifications: Experience in food NPD, strong commercial awareness, and excellent stakeholder management skills.
The predicted salary is between 40000 - 50000 £ per year.
A leading food manufacturing business in County Down is seeking an experienced NPD Manager to join its innovation team. Operating within a fast-paced food production environment, the business is committed to developing high-quality products that respond to evolving consumer trends, retailer demands and market opportunities. This is an exciting opportunity to play a pivotal role in shaping the future product portfolio of a well-established and growing food manufacturer.
As NPD Manager, you will take ownership of the end-to-end product development process, leading new product projects from concept generation through to successful launch. Working closely with Technical, Operations, Commercial and Finance teams, you will build and manage a structured innovation pipeline, ensuring products are commercially viable, operationally deliverable and compliant with food safety and legal requirements.
You will be responsible for identifying emerging consumer and retailer trends, translating these into innovative product concepts and overseeing product trials, factory scale runs and launch activities. The role will also involve collaborating with customers, supporting commercial growth opportunities, maintaining awareness of industry developments and ensuring all new products meet allergen, nutritional, labelling and legislative requirements. This is a hands-on role offering a blend of creativity, project management and stakeholder engagement within a highly collaborative environment.
What you'll need to succeed:
- Proven experience within a New Product Development role in food manufacturing, ideally within fresh or chilled food production.
- A track record of successfully taking products from concept through to commercial launch.
- Strong commercial awareness with the ability to balance innovation, margins and operational capability.
- Hands-on experience leading product trials and working closely with technical and production teams.
- Excellent stakeholder management and presentation skills, with the confidence to engage customers and senior leadership teams.
- A genuine passion for food innovation, consumer trends, health and product provenance.
- A collaborative and practical approach, comfortable working both in development kitchens and on the factory floor.
What you'll get in return:
- Secure, permanent employment within a growing and innovative food manufacturing business.
- Opportunity to lead and shape the company's future product development pipeline.
- Supportive working environment with a strong focus on collaboration and continuous improvement.
- Ongoing training and development opportunities through an established learning and development programme.
- Free onsite parking, staff discount scheme and a Cycle to Work programme.
- The opportunity to work within a diverse and supportive team where innovation and personal development are actively encouraged.
- Exposure to key retail and food service customers while helping drive growth through new product innovation.
If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call us now. If this job isn't quite right for you, but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion about your career.
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