Product Development Manager

This is a 12 month fixed term position

Why LNER?

We go beyond. For everyone. Our vision is to be the most loved, progressive and responsible way to travel for generations to come. Now we\’re looking for the people who can deliver this, every day.

Since we took over on the East Coast mainline, we\’ve been changing the face of rail travel. Our new Azuma train has brought faster journey times, more space and greater reliability. Our exciting plans to embrace new ideas, experiences, backgrounds and ambitions make this the ideal time to join.

Bringing passion. Being bold. Always caring. Owning it. They\’re the values that make us LNER.

What you\’ll be doing

Are you ready to enhance the culinary experience at LNER? As the Catering Development Manager, you\’ll be the mastermind behind the selection of all food and beverage products delivered to our customers and staff. Leading the dynamic Proposition team, you\’ll constantly source and introduce fresh, innovative ideas that will elevate the LNER food offering to new heights.

Your role will be pivotal in identifying market opportunities to enhance our product portfolio, driving retail revenue, and boosting First-Class advocacy. You\’ll dive deep into customer insights and market research to craft clearly defined product ranges that cater to all our customers\’ needs, maintaining a rolling development pipeline that keeps our offerings ahead of the curve.

Supporting the Proposition team, you\’ll ensure the successful launch of all catering offers and menu changes, achieving the required profit margins and revenue targets. Your ongoing reviews of the retail range through evaluation and category management will ensure we consistently deliver top-notch quality and innovation.

Key Responsibilities

Menu Delivery: Lead the delivery of new menus, ensuring timely execution (briefs, roadshow, comms, printing).

Innovative Supply Chain: Ensure the supply chain and product range are innovative and align with the LNER brand.

Safety and Compliance: Collaborate with the Hospitality and Quality Assurance Managers to ensure safe food offers and compliance with legislation and LNER standards.

Food Hygiene Auditing: Support audits of food hygiene and suppliers to maintain safe catering delivery.

Category Management: Develop strategies to drive catering sales.

Marketing Promotion Plan: Work with Marketing to develop and implement plans to drive sales and optimize marketing funds.

Strategy and Analysis: Collaborate with Finance and Analytics to review strategies and promotional activities, creating reactive action plans.

Product Presentations: Deliver product/menu presentations using data and insights.

Cost Management: Manage food and drink costs per customer within budget.

Promotional Strategy: Define and implement strategies to meet company KPIs (NAS, NPS, DNAS, Revenue).

Catering Review Board: Lead and manage the Catering Review Board.

Periodic Reporting: Produce reports on category management and product development.

Chef Collaboration: Ensure high-quality catering offers with the Hospitality Manager.

Supplier and Team Engagement: Develop incentives with suppliers and teams to drive catering revenue.

Food Safety Certification: Obtain or work towards a level 3 food safety and allergen awareness certification within 6 months.

Training and Competencies: Ensure training and competencies are maintained for service continuity during disruptions.

What you\’ll need.

Menu Development Expertise: Significant understanding of menu development processes and product profiling, ensuring a well-balanced menu.

Menu Engineering Experience: Proven experience in menu engineering and delivering gross profit margins.

Product and Proposition Development: Extensive experience in product and proposition development, from research and securing new lines to delivery and service style.

Project Management Skills: Ability to propose, project manage, and deliver menu refreshes at defined frequencies that support the brand strategy.

Brand Marketing Experience: Experience working with large brands for marketing purposes.

Market Insight: Ability to identify gaps in the market and emerging trends from multiple sources.

Customer Insight Utilization: Evidence of utilizing customer insights to support and underpin the development of menu ranges.

Continuous Improvement: Capability to develop a continuous improvement program with a plan for constant evaluation and review using available data for decision-making purposes.

Brand Management: Experienced brand owner manager with expertise in delivering robust and enduring relationships.

Marketing Fund Utilization: Understanding of marketing funds available from brand owners and how to access them to the financial benefit of LNER.

Stakeholder Relationship Building: Ability to build long-term relationships with key stakeholders, including but not limited to LNER\’s third-party logistics provider.

What you\’ll get:

• Free travel on LNER + 75% off other companies\’ tickets (for you & dependents)
• Discounted international train tickets (after one year\’s service)
• 50% discount on LNER tickets for friends & family
• Generous pension scheme
• Annual cycle to work schemes
• Discount, savings and cashback scheme from top retailers
• Health & wellbeing schemes and discounts
• Host of training opportunities to help further your career
• Rewards & awards to recognise when you shine

What we believe:

To be the most loved, progressive and responsible train operating company, we must make a meaningful difference – always doing what\’s right for our customers, our people, the communities and destinations we serve, the future of the industry we lead and the environment we cherish.

We know that our people are the beating heart of everything we do. We are committed to creating an inclusive, engaged culture that supports everyone at every stage of their journey – and ensures that when you\’re at LNER, you can always be you. No wonder most people never want to leave!

Diversity and inclusion
We are passionate about creating a diverse and inclusive workforce, representative of the communities we serve, and are creating ways to inspire diverse talent to join LNER.

Developing our people
We are focused on creating a learning culture, to support our people to be the best they can be at work by providing them with the tools and resources to navigate their development and career journey.

Health & wellbeing
To create a culture where our people can perform at their best, the physical health and mental wellbeing of our people is of paramount importance to us.

What next?

As we say, we have fantastic opportunities for ambitious people from all sorts of different backgrounds, so now is the time to join the team at LNER – without delay!

Start your journey here

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