At a Glance
- Tasks: Support store teams in fresh food operations and drive sales through coaching and creative solutions.
- Company: Join Henderson Group, Northern Ireland's leading foodservice provider with a family-oriented culture.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, company car, healthcare, and generous employee discounts.
- Other info: Be part of a team that values ambition, teamwork, and community support.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in the fresh food sector while developing your career in a supportive environment.
- Qualifications: 3+ years management experience in fresh food retail and strong IT skills required.
The predicted salary is between 30000 - 40000 € per year.
At Henderson Group, we are proud to be Northern Ireland's leading foodservice provider. Our group encompasses Henderson Wholesale, Henderson Retail, Henderson Foodservice and Henderson Group Property. We employ over 5,500 staff and have been placed 3rd in Ulster Business Top 100 Companies 2025. We're a family-owned, ambitious team that cares about our people and the community in which we live. Henderson Retail is the largest organisation to be awarded Investors in People Platinum in Northern Ireland.
Overview of the role: Due to continued growth, Henderson Retail Ltd are now looking for a Fresh Food Development Specialist. Reporting to the Fresh Food Manager, this role will involve being a fresh food specialist in chilled foods, fresh produce, bread and cake. It will be the point of contact for our store teams, providing support to the Fresh Food operations in store to drive sales, improve profitability, trade safely and legally, and continuously look for efficient ways of working.
Working as a Fresh Food Development Specialist you will:
- Coach our store teams with hands-on in store practical support in relation to merchandising and creative solutions to drive sales.
- Deliver the fresh food proposition in new and redeveloped stores through great organisational skills and the ability to deliver to timelines.
- Formulate and deliver coaching workshops for our store teams that improve the fresh food operation in store.
- Produce weekly and monthly reports that give insights into the fresh food operation accompanied by actions to improve performance.
- Collaborate with other business functions to develop and implement business development solutions to allow sales and profit improvement.
- Present confidently commercial insights into the fresh food performance against the key metrics to the wider Retail Leadership Team and Senior Leadership Team.
Skills for Success: Joining us as Fresh Food Development Specialist the minimum criteria you'll need is:
- Minimum of 3 years management experience within the Fresh Food retail sector.
- Strong IT proficiency, with advanced working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications, particularly Microsoft Teams, PowerPoint, Word, and Excel.
- Full, valid UK/EU driving licence.
The Attributes you'll need include:
- Demonstrable proven strong communication and written skills that can be tailored to the appropriate level of recipient.
- Ability to influence others from a cross-team/matrix position.
- Coaching skills, being able to adapt your approach to the individual.
- Commercially aware of the fresh food marketplace and ability to utilise that knowledge to identify opportunities for improvement.
- Strong customer focus and ability to motivate and inspire others to deliver the best possible customer service.
- Strong analytical skills to interpret and action sales information.
- Previous experience in formulating PowerPoint presentations and presenting to groups.
It is Desirable if you have:
- Third-level qualification in Business or a related discipline.
- Experience working/providing support across multiple sites.
- Previous experience in a business development role.
As part of this role, it will be important that you feel aligned with the values that we live and work by:
- Ambition: We always strive to be better. We seek new challenges and look for ways to do things better.
- Customer First: We provide exceptional service. We put customers at the heart of everything and support our communities.
- Teamwork: We succeed together. We help colleagues to succeed, and we share our knowledge and skills.
- Integrity: We are fair, honest and ethical. We treat everyone with dignity and respect. We are inclusive and champion diversity.
The Reward: The impact you can make with Henderson Group goes far beyond your day to day. You will be part of a business supporting defibrillator installations and school sports days. In the last year Henderson group staff and retail stores raised over £1 million for charity partners. We will help you to feel proud of what you do and achieve. And we will be here to celebrate your success. Our business has been recognised externally for delivering excellence in employment. We value employee development and heavily invest in our people.
Benefits include market competitive salary, bonus scheme, company car, reimbursement for company mileage, contributory pension scheme, healthcare, life insurance, employee assistance programme, social club, Reward Gateway Employee Recognition & Discount Scheme throughout UK/Ireland, staff discount (grocery/fuel) at SPAR/EUROSPAR Henderson Group company-owned stores and many more.
This is a full-time position working 36.5 hours per week working 5 days over 6, Monday-Saturday. Availability from 6am may be required in some instances for this role. Completed applications must be submitted online by midnight on Tuesday 2nd June 2026. We are an equal opportunities employer.
Fresh Food Development Specialist in Newtownabbey employer: Henderson Group
Henderson Group is an exceptional employer, recognised for its commitment to employee development and community support. With a family-oriented culture, competitive salary packages, and extensive benefits including a company car and healthcare, we empower our Fresh Food Development Specialists to thrive in their roles while making a meaningful impact. Join us in a dynamic environment where ambition, teamwork, and integrity are at the heart of everything we do.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Fresh Food Development Specialist in Newtownabbey
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the fresh food sector and let them know you're on the hunt for a role. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Get hands-on! If you can, volunteer or take on short-term projects related to fresh food development. This not only boosts your CV but also shows potential employers that you're passionate and proactive about the industry.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by practising your presentation skills. Since you'll need to present insights confidently, grab a friend and run through some mock presentations. The more comfortable you are, the better you'll shine!
✨Tip Number 4
Don't forget to apply through our website! It's the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are genuinely interested in joining our ambitious team at Henderson Group.
We think you need these skills to ace Fresh Food Development Specialist in Newtownabbey
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in fresh food retail. Use keywords from the job description to show that you understand what we're looking for.
Show Off Your Skills:Don’t just list your skills; give examples of how you've used them in previous roles. Whether it's coaching teams or analysing sales data, we want to see how you can bring value to our team.
Be Clear and Concise:When writing your application, keep it straightforward. We appreciate clarity, so avoid jargon and get straight to the point about your achievements and how they relate to the role.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to submit your application through our website. It’s the best way to ensure it gets to the right people and helps us keep track of all applications efficiently.
How to prepare for a job interview at Henderson Group
✨Know Your Fresh Food Stuff
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of fresh food trends, especially in chilled foods and produce. Be ready to discuss how you can drive sales and improve profitability in these areas. Showing that you understand the market will impress the interviewers.
✨Show Off Your Coaching Skills
Since this role involves coaching store teams, prepare examples of how you've successfully trained or mentored others in the past. Think about specific situations where your coaching made a difference and be ready to share those stories.
✨Get Comfortable with Data
You’ll need strong analytical skills for this position, so be prepared to discuss how you've used data to inform decisions in previous roles. Bring examples of reports you've created or insights you've derived from sales information to demonstrate your capabilities.
✨Practice Your Presentation Skills
As you'll be presenting to leadership teams, practice delivering a mock presentation. Focus on clarity and confidence, especially when discussing commercial insights. This will help you feel more at ease during the actual interview and show that you can communicate effectively.
