Product Manager - Foods

Solent Group works with a diverse portfolio of Retailers and supplies bespoke products within various categories, including Health & Beauty, Household Impulse Snacking, and Reusable Bags. We are proud to be best-in-class when it comes to own-label product innovation. Our Categories are fast-paced with ever-evolving trends and a host of ground-breaking products coming to market on a regular basis - we add value to retailers by leading and owning each category. Here at Solent, we want people to be extraordinary. We pride ourselves on creating and producing amazing products and brands for our Global Customers. You will be joining a company with offices globally across South Africa, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Vietnam, and the UK.

REPORT TO: Senior Product Manager

LOCATION: Remote working with regular travel to Christchurch, Dorset (Head Office) and Sheffield (Manufacturing facility)

TRAVEL: EU manufacturers, trade shows and customer meetings

Purpose of the role: This role is for a hands-on developer at an exciting superfood manufacturer, bringing energy, creativity, and bold thinking into the Health & Nutrition space. The purpose of the role is to develop and optimise blend recipes that deliver on performance, quality, and cost, while demonstrating a strong understanding of ingredients, taste, and flavour. You will be responsible for injecting innovative ideas into product development and turning insights and trends into compelling new concepts. The role involves creating clear, confident briefs and communicating them effectively across teams, as well as managing products from initial concept through to market launch. With significant autonomy, you will lead strategic innovation, combining category-defining ideas with the practical requirements of day-to-day product development.

Key Responsibilities:

• Autonomously develop market leading formulations based on benchmarks and briefs, balancing innovation, functionality, and quality standards.
• Manage all product samples: review, taste, and ensure timely distribution to customers and suppliers, maintaining accuracy and consistency.
• Lead internal and customer tasting and benchmarking sessions, providing clear insights and recommendations for product positioning and improvement.
• Lead trends and market insights, integrating findings into presentations and strategies; maintain regular retailer engagement to inform innovation.
• Deliver high-impact customer presentations, ensuring content is accurate, compelling, and aligned with brand strategy.
• Manage critical paths with strong project planning, milestone tracking, and proactive resolution of delays to ensure successful on-time launches.
• Oversee product development from concept to finished goods, including briefings, quote and sample reviews, factory trial support, and quality checks.
• Maintain and update project tracker, setting deadlines, creating critical paths, and delegating tasks to cross-functional teams (commercial, technical).
• Lead annual strategic category plans, including quarterly reviews, tracking progress, and adjusting strategies to meet financial and innovation objectives.
• Coordinate stakeholder communications and meetings, proactively identifying and resolving project challenges to ensure smooth delivery.
• Internally face into all Buying, technical, design and supply chain teams.

About you:

• Food science or nutrition knowledge.
• Brand background to deliver impactful brand and consumer strategy.
• Market and trend implementation and execution with BOLD NPD ideas!
• Have used and is familiar with Nutri-calc or equivalent.
• Can confidently understand and run a critical path.
• Food manufacturing knowledge.
• Examples of cross-functional working across multiple teams.
• Examples of independent problem solving and solutions to previous projects.
• Recipe Development & Formulation experience.
• Self-starter and adaptability to respond effectively to trends.
• Project management.
• Excited about working within a dynamic and fast-paced team.
• Motivated and Ambitious with a can-do attitude to find solutions within a development window.

What we offer:

• Competitive salary with annual salary reviews.
• 25 days holiday per annum, increasing to 27 days after 3 years' service and 30 days after 5 years' service.
• Extensive benefits programme including buying additional holiday, medical cash plan, access to mental health support and many other benefits.
• Flexible hours and work from home available to all staff.
• Great learning and development and progression opportunities.
• Yearly bonus structure (based on company targets).
• Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Leave.
• Generous Company Sick Pay.
• Pension Scheme Contribution.
• Solent social events run by our in-house Social Team.
• Cycle to Work scheme.
• Dress down Fridays.
• Free parking on Christchurch Quay.