At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead exciting food product development projects from concept to launch in a dynamic environment.
- Company: Join Simply Lunch, a family-owned food manufacturer dedicated to quality and community.
- Benefits: Enjoy great perks, a supportive culture, and opportunities for personal growth.
- Other info: Be part of a high-performance team focused on delivering delicious, sustainable food.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in food innovation while working with passionate teams.
- Qualifications: Experience in food product development and strong project management skills required.
The predicted salary is between 50000 - 60000 £ per year.
Who We Are
Simply Lunch is a rapidly growing, private family-owned food-to-go manufacturer based in London. Our commitment to delicious food and our local communities has been central to our South London business since it was founded in 1979. Today, we are as committed as ever to creating high-quality hand-crafted products, made to improve lives and protect our beautiful planet. All our food is handmade at our facility in South London with the same care, love and admiration that we’ve shown since day one. Our talented team fuels the success at Simply Lunch, combining expertise and passion to craft products that improve lives through delicious food.
The Role
This is a pivotal leadership role where you will take full ownership of the end-to-end delivery of multiple New Product Development (NPD) projects, shaping and driving the product development function to ensure every product moves from concept through to launch against agreed critical path timelines in a fast-paced food manufacturing environment. You will combine product innovation with strong project discipline, ensuring structure, prioritisation, and delivery control across a busy pipeline of live developments.
Key Responsibilities
- Own, develop, and continuously improve the product development critical path, ensuring all projects are delivered on time and in full through structured tracking, prioritisation, and proactive risk management.
- Lead multiple concurrent NPD projects from concept through to launch, enforcing stage gate governance, managing dependencies, risks, and decision points to maintain control of the critical path.
- Act as the central project lead and escalation point for all NPD activity, ensuring clarity, pace, and alignment across internal teams and external customers.
- Ensure an agile, solutions-driven approach to actively protect timelines, unblock issues, and maintain delivery momentum across multiple live projects.
- Prepare and present key development documentation throughout the stage gate process.
- Lead, mentor, and develop the NPD team, including workload planning, prioritisation, and delivery oversight across competing project demands.
- Own capacity planning, pipeline prioritisation, and resource allocation across all live and pipeline NPD projects to ensure delivery against commercial deadlines and manufacturing constraints.
- Build strong, trusted relationships with customers and internal stakeholders.
- Work closely with chefs to translate briefs into commercially viable, scalable products.
- Ensure manufacturing feasibility is considered at every stage of development.
- Stay ahead of food-to-go market trends and drive innovation aligned to commercial strategy.
- Conduct benchmarking and gap analysis against competitors.
- Foster a high-performance, delivery-focused team culture.
What We’re Looking For
Experience and Background
- Proven track record in food product development, ideally within the food-to-go or food manufacturing sector.
- Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, factory constraints, and cross-functional delivery.
- Proven experience managing multiple concurrent NPD projects in a fast-paced manufacturing environment with strict deadlines and competing priorities.
- Experience managing teams and leading cross-functional delivery activity.
- Customer-facing experience with retail or foodservice partners.
Key Skills
- Strong end-to-end project management capability with demonstrable ownership of critical path delivery.
- Proven ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously under pressure.
- Highly structured approach with strong prioritisation, planning, and stakeholder alignment skills.
- Strong understanding of stage gate or structured product development environments.
- Commercial awareness with the ability to balance innovation and operational feasibility.
- Strong problem-solving and decision-making ability in a fast-moving environment.
- Ability to influence, drive clarity, and maintain delivery focus across teams.
- Passion for food innovation, grounded in operational reality.
What You’ll Get in Return
At Simply Lunch, we believe our people are at the heart of our success. We’re committed to creating an environment where you can thrive, grow, and genuinely enjoy coming to work.
Great perks
Senior Product Development Manager (Projects) employer: Simply Lunch
Simply Lunch is an exceptional employer that prioritises the well-being and growth of its employees, offering a vibrant work culture rooted in passion for food innovation and community engagement. Located in South London, our family-owned business fosters a collaborative environment where you can lead exciting product development projects while enjoying great perks and opportunities for personal and professional development. Join us to be part of a dedicated team that crafts high-quality, hand-made products with care and commitment to sustainability.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Product Development Manager (Projects)
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in the food manufacturing sector, especially those who work at Simply Lunch. A friendly chat can open doors and give you insights that might just land you an interview.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for the interview by knowing your stuff! Research Simply Lunch’s products and their approach to sustainability. Show us you’re passionate about food innovation and how you can contribute to our mission.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your project management skills! Be ready to discuss how you've successfully managed multiple NPD projects in the past. We want to hear about your structured approach and how you tackle challenges head-on.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, it shows us you’re genuinely interested in being part of the Simply Lunch family.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Product Development Manager (Projects)
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Food:When you're writing your application, let your love for food shine through! We want to see how your passion aligns with our commitment to delicious, high-quality products. Share any relevant experiences that highlight your enthusiasm for food innovation.
Be Clear and Structured:Just like in project management, clarity is key! Make sure your application is well-organised and easy to read. Use headings, bullet points, and concise language to showcase your experience and skills, especially those related to managing multiple NPD projects.
Highlight Your Team Leadership Skills:We’re looking for someone who can lead and mentor a team effectively. In your application, emphasise your experience in managing teams and cross-functional delivery. Share examples of how you've successfully guided others in a fast-paced environment.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you don’t miss out on any important details about the role. Plus, it shows you’re keen to join our Simply Lunch family!
How to prepare for a job interview at Simply Lunch
✨Know Your NPD Inside Out
Before the interview, dive deep into your understanding of New Product Development (NPD) processes. Be ready to discuss specific projects you've led, focusing on how you managed timelines and overcame challenges. This will show your expertise and passion for product innovation.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As a Senior Product Development Manager, you'll be leading teams. Prepare examples of how you've mentored team members or managed cross-functional projects. Highlight your ability to foster a high-performance culture and how you’ve successfully navigated competing priorities.
✨Understand the Market Trends
Stay ahead of food-to-go market trends and be prepared to discuss how these trends can influence product development at Simply Lunch. Bring insights about competitors and how you can drive innovation that aligns with the company’s commercial strategy.
✨Prepare for Problem-Solving Scenarios
Expect questions that assess your problem-solving abilities in a fast-paced environment. Think of specific instances where you had to unblock issues or maintain delivery momentum. Demonstrating your structured approach to risk management will impress the interviewers.
