Innovation Project Manager

Job Title: Innovation Project Manager Salary: £55,000 DOE + Competitive benefits package including private healthcare Location: 15 minutes drive from Basildon Full time, Hybrid – 3 days per week in the office in Essex Must be a car driver to access the office due to the location Exciting Opportunity with Leading Food Brand On behalf of our prestigious client, a market leader in the food sector known for their innovative and high-quality products, we are seeking an experienced Innovation Project Manager to join their dynamic team near Basildon. Our client has embarked on an ambitious growth strategy, rolling out exciting new products across several categories and developing a longer-term pipeline to unlock new demographics and usage occasions. The Role The successful candidate will manage a portfolio of new product launches, from exploration to market introduction. You will work with key stakeholders across all business functions to ensure projects are delivered on time, to cost, and meeting high quality standards. You will take full accountability for end-to-end project management – optimising timelines, identifying and communicating risks, and managing the stage gate process. Key Responsibilities – Manage the full consumer-centric NPD process from concept to launch, including recipe development, finished product costing, factory trials, and post-launch reviews – Create and manage end-to-end project timelines for both major Innovation/NPD launches and simpler range extension projects – Ensure all products are launched on time and meet financial and quality targets – Collaborate across multiple functions including Marketing, Category, Procurement, Production, Supply Chain, Technical, Sales and Finance, as well as 3rd party manufacturers – Develop business cases for new NPD projects alongside Category, Marketing, Sales, Finance and Procurement teams – Lead recipe formulation, flavour development and finished product development with both in-house teams and 3rd party manufacturing partners based in the UK and EU – Apply supply chain, product development and manufacturing knowledge to optimise project delivery and mitigate risks – Maintain multi-functional visibility of critical paths and drive on-time delivery of actions – Identify operational risks and develop mitigation plans, clearly communicating these to leadership – Ensure market requirements and regulatory complexities are incorporated into all plans – Lead multi-functional project meetings and risk assessment sessions – Manage consumer research activities with external partners, ensuring internal alignment on deliverables – Conduct benchmarking, market analysis, and competitor reviews to identify trends and opportunities Candidate Requirements – Minimum 4-5 years in a project management role managing NPD projects – Preferably degree-qualified in Food Science, Nutrition or related field (not essential) – Strong background in branded retail packaged food product development, ideally in ambient ready-to-heat or chilled savoury meal solutions, sauces/condiments, or similar products – Proven end-to-end project management skills from ideation to post-launch evaluation – Experience in recipe and flavour profile development, upscaling from kitchen recipes to factory trials – Knowledge of product COGs development and cost engineering to meet targets – Comprehensive understanding of new product creation and launch processes across operations and supply chain – Agile mindset, adaptable to changing priorities and objectives – Ability to create structured project plans from ambiguous briefs and manage uncertainty – Track record of successful collaborative project delivery – Excellent communication skills across all levels and functions – Proactive approach with strong attention to detail – Experience with Stage Gate processes – Experience managing projects with both internal and 3rd party supply chains preferred – Project management platform experience beneficial – Comfortable with hands-on tasks such as preparation for tastings and sample coordination Company Benefits: – Holidays: 25 days (increasing to 28 days with service). – Additional Leave: Up to 10 extra days for long service milestones. – Pension: Group personal pension with 4% company contribution. – Life Cover: 3 x salary paid to your nominated beneficiary. – Maternity Pay: Occupational maternity pay plus SMP. – Accident Cover: Disability compensation payment. – Health & Wellbeing: BUPA & BUPA cash plan (individual or family). – Recognition: Employee Star Award. – Lunches & Drinks: Free lunch every day (valued at £700) + free drinks. – Social: Heavily subsidised sports & social events + annual company BBQ. – Annual Flu Vaccination: Provided for all employees. Additional Notes: Car Driver Required: The office is not accessible via public transport; therefore, a valid driving license and access to a car is essential. Location Disclosure: Please mention your location in your CV. Applications without location details may experience delays in processing. Eligibility: Only applicants with UK residency and full visa status will be considered. Applications from those outside of the UK will not be shortlisted. If you plan to relocate, please mention this in your CV or cover letter