New Product Development Manager in Northampton

Tayto Group are the 3rd largest player in savoury snacks, with a turnover of more than £250m and home to iconic brands like Golden Wonder, Mr Porky, REAL Crisps and Tayto. We’re also the UK’s leading supplier of private label snacks. Our brand heritage spans over 75 years, and we’re committed to delivering great-tasting snacks for lunchbox staples, pub favourites, and the ‘who ate the last crisp?’ moments that we all love.

We wouldn’t be able to do what we do without our creative, collaborative and energetic New Product Development Team! They manage the process of turning big ideas into realities, and we’re looking for a New Product Development (NPD) Manager to lead the end-to-end development and delivery of NPD and EPD for our brands and retail customers.

Let’s get a flavour of the role:

• You’ll take full responsibility for key retail accounts, working closely with Tayto Group Limited (TGL) account directors to deliver to and meet customer expectations & business targets.
• You will also work alongside our brand team to deliver exciting products for our much-loved brands.
• It’s fast paced, so we’re hoping that you’re ready for the challenge of simultaneously managing multiple projects from concept to launch covering product, process and packaging.

Here’s more details on how:

• Act as primary contact for New and Existing Product Development activity for retailer and internal brand customers including presenting NPD opportunities and responding to briefs including gaining product approvals.
• Identify product opportunities for customers and brands that will meet their strategic objectives by working closely with commercial teams to ensure cost effective product opportunities are presented and profitable products are launched.
• Responsible for multiple retail and internal brand NPD projects from initial proposals to launch, ensuring projects launch on time, to brief/specification & cost.
• Lead line trials for new products, flavours and packaging. Work closely with Operations, Technical and Planning colleagues to ensure that site teams are aligned to NPD plans.
• Responsible for existing product development including process evaluations, ingredient changes, flavour enhancements, packaging and legislation changes.
• Manage and document projects in accordance with TGL product change process including creating and managing project critical paths.
• Complete competitor benchmarking including data analysis & reporting.
• Lead and develop a direct report, supporting growth and capability.

Key Ingredients (what we need to see from you):

• Educated to degree-level in food technology/marketing or food engineering.
• 3+ years’ experience of product development in a food environment with a strong track record of delivering end-to-end NPD/EPD projects within a managed NPD system.
• Experience of working in a medium to large scale branded or own label factory environment, facing into and alongside brand managers and retail technologists.
• Fluent in the use of MS Office packages - particularly Excel, with database handling/record keeping desirable.
• An experienced and clear communicator, who uses planning, organisation and attention to detail to influence stakeholders and build relationships.
• Able to demonstrate resilience to challenges and has the ability to adapt to meet customer and business needs.

Added Extra’s (our benefits):

• In addition to your salary, you’ll have access to the following benefits:
• Company shop membership.
• Subsidised Canteen.
• Free onsite parking.
• Employee Assistance Programme providing mental health, financial and practical support through Grocery Aid.

Here at Tayto, we know it takes every flavour to make a decent variety pack, and the more the better! We want you to feel welcome to be your authentic self, so you and your application will be treated with respect in line with our commitment to privacy, diversity, equity, and inclusion. We will also seek to provide reasonable adjustments for interview should they be needed.

We’ve got bags of opportunity if you’re ready to apply!