Innovation Insight Specialist

Business Area: R&D - Nestle Production Technology Centre

Location: York

Salary: Circa £40,000, depending on experience and qualifications

Some of our other fantastic benefits:

• Potential, discretionary annual bonus
• Generous pension scheme – up to 12% contribution from Nestle
• 12 flexible days on top of 25-day holiday entitlement
• 2 paid volunteering days

Although this is a full-time opportunity, please speak to us about what flexibility means to you as we are always open to discuss individual’s flexible working.

At Nestlé, we believe great innovation starts with deep consumer understanding. We are looking for an Innovation Insight Specialist to help shape the future of our portfolio by turning consumer insight into impactful innovation and renovation across our categories. As an Innovation Insight Specialist, you will be a trusted expert in consumer insights, partnering closely with R&D, Strategic Business Units (SBU), Markets and Zones to influence the Innovation & Renovation (I&R) pipeline. You will ensure our products and renovations are rooted in real consumer needs, aligned with business strategy, and fit for the future. You will champion best‑in‑class consumer insight practices across Nestlé, helping teams make better, faster, consumer‑centric decisions while supporting sustainable business performance.

We take pride in championing inclusion and diversity. We proudly signed the Business in the Community Race at Work Charter, are committed to Disability Confidence, and have been recognised as a Times Top 50 Employer for gender equality for three consecutive years. Additionally, we are a headline partner of Diversity and Inclusion in grocery.

Your impact:

We are committed to driving innovation and staying at the forefront of consumer trends and technological advancements. This position is pivotal to helping us achieve this. You will be the main contact in NPTC for category consumer insight, driving & embedding insight understanding with other functions and wider teams. This role embeds the consumer voice at the heart of innovation and renovation projects, shaping ideas from early concept through to successful launch. By applying the right consumer research and decision‑making tools, it ensures maximum impact while delivering projects on time and within budget. The role drives winning product launches and communications through strong integration of consumer insight, while acting as a recognised insight expert who shares best practice across R&D, SBUs and markets. It also involves designing, managing and executing high‑quality consumer research in close collaboration with internal stakeholders and external agencies.

Key activities include:

• Lead consumer insight activities across our front-end innovation programme including the identification and development of new whitespace opportunities.
• Translating insight into action & driving and influencing idea generation.
• Identifying & developing of future trends based on accepted models, environment & business context.
• Manage and execute innovation consumer insight studies.
• Linking and utilising opportunities across the front-end innovation activities to optimise success.
• Sharing and promoting new ways of working and methodologies in consumer insight generation.
• Understand market context for new & developing consumer insight tools, AI etc.
• Exploration of new partners & agile methods of consumer insight/understanding.

In addition to this you will:

• Build future‑focused consumer understanding by identifying trends, white spaces and opportunities to inspire innovation.
• Lead consumer insight activities across our front-end innovation programme including the identification and development of new whitespace opportunities.
• Translate insight into action & driving and influencing idea generation.
• Identify & developing of future trends based on accepted models, environment & business context.
• Manage and execute innovation consumer insight studies.
• Link and utilise opportunities across the front-end innovation activities to optimise success.
• Understand market context for new & developing consumer insight tools, AI etc.

Your ingredients for success:

You will have proven experience in consumer or market research, ideally within FMCG, food or packaged goods, with proven involvement in innovation and/or renovation projects. You have strong expertise across quantitative and qualitative research methods, complemented by solid commercial and category understanding. Confident in project management and cross‑functional collaboration, you communicate insights with clarity, influence and compelling storytelling. You are curious, autonomous and rigorous in your approach, with a genuine passion for keeping the consumer at the heart of innovation, a collaborative mindset, and the courage and integrity to challenge the status quo and build trust across teams.

Including:

• Experience in FMCG; food or packaged goods strongly preferred.
• Exposure to both R&D and business environments is an advantage.
• Involvement in innovation and/or renovation initiatives.
• Strong mastery of quantitative and qualitative research techniques.
• Solid commercial and category understanding.
• Excellent communication, influencing and storytelling skills.
• Confident project management and cross‑functional collaboration.

What you need to know:

Advert posting date: 18/05/2026

Advert closing date: 01/06/2026

We will be considering candidates as they apply and we will occasionally close job advertisements early in the event we receive sufficient applicants, so please don’t delay in submitting your application.

At Nestlé, our values are rooted in respect and we believe that embracing diversity and fostering an inclusive environment allows everyone to reach their full potential and drives innovative thinking. We strongly encourage applications from individuals of all gender identities, ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities, parents, carers and members of the LGBT+ community. Please let us know if we can provide accommodations to ensure your full participation in the application process.

To find out more about Nestle’s commitment to DEI: Nestlé's Commitment to a Diverse and Inclusive Workplace