Product Development Manager in Bury St Edmunds

The Product Development Manager will lead the Product Development team to successfully deliver business and organisational objectives. They will ensure that a commercially relevant portfolio of ingredients and business solutions are developed and commercialised to support customer requests. As well as leading the team, they will drive people development and appropriate training to facilitate proper people and performance management in line with company goals.

What You’ll Be Doing:

• Act as the central liaison for the Product Development function, providing guidance and decision‑making support on key projects, escalations, and complex technical challenges.
• Lead research planning to develop creative and novel products - bringing them to commercial fruition.
• Ensure strategy alignment in assignment of objectives and team responsibilities.
• Offer ongoing leadership, coaching, and support to team members, fostering a positive environment that enables their professional wellbeing and development.
• Conduct and facilitate recording of regular one to ones, development reviews, end of year reviews and salary reviews.
• Oversee budget management for the department, monitoring spend and ensuring alignment with approved budget needs.
• Oversee all customer briefs to ensure that briefs are feasible and completed in line with customer expectations.
• Work with Marketing, Category Managers and Sales to ensure that the right products are selected for promotion adopting a “Right Product, Right Customer, Right Time” approach.
• Maintain both the commercial and innovation pipeline, reporting and presenting on both of these as required.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives.
• Ensure maintenance of a range of laboratory and pilot‑plant equipment (introducing new innovations where necessary), during product development.
• Oversee team’s responsibilities to include: Identification of relevant raw materials for the development of products, partnering with the Procurement team to meet requirements.
• Work with the Category Management team in the planning of innovation and customer priorities.
• Manage category demands, providing consistent communication of category innovation efforts and commercial implications of development work.
• Participate in / oversee planning, monitoring and documentation of plant trials leading to successful commercialization of new products.
• Support the Process Innovation Manager to determine, define and improve production efficiencies of new and existing products.
• Participate in sensory evaluation of matching projects, new products, reformulations, ingredient substitutions, and competitive products.
• Maintain accurate records of lab work, and documentation of used ingredients, formulation modifications and provide statistical evaluations and reports.
• Ensure project owners complete technical reports and ensure proper, streamlined documentation of all work generated.
• Develop product and raw material specifications suitable for QA and Regulatory team.
• Keep up to date with current worldwide product innovation efforts and transfer new knowledge to Treatt product lines.
• Continually explore and identify ways to tailor Treatt product lines to appeal to new markets.
• Cultivate sales opportunities with customers and other industry contacts by building strong partnering relationships with key technical personnel in these organizations.
• Participate in product demonstrations as needed.
• Work with customers as needed on new product developments and reformulations.
• Present to customers, showcasing product expertise.
• All team members to support QC sensory panels.
• Partner with sales team members to identify and analyze consumer market trends that might provide increased sales and product development opportunities.
• Work closely with Marketing / Consumer Insights to ensure Treatt is on top of market trends.
• Report on departmental initiatives for Executive reports.
• Ensure collaboration with global counterparts to execute Treatt’s global innovation plan.
• Practice safe behaviours and processes and ensure every individual accountable for safety.
• Review and authorise Standard Operating Procedures and Risk Assessments.
• Ensure that the working area in the laboratory is maintained in a clean and orderly condition and that any hazard or potential hazard is reported.

What we’re looking for:

• A bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Food Science or a related subject plus a minimum of 8 years lab and product development experience in a closely affiliated field.
• Basic Sensory knowledge and training.
• A proven independent worker with strong creativity and problem‑solving skills.
• An in‑depth understanding of fundamental chemistry/food science/scientific principles.
• Demonstrate knowledge of regulations, policies, procedures and processes in food science and product development.
• Strong collaboration skills, with an ability to build relationships across the wider business.
• Superior ability to research and analyse information and data to arrive at valid conclusions and plans of actions.
• Effective communication skills at all levels - both verbally and in writing.
• Experience in People Management.
• Ability to use various spreadsheets, word‑processing and database computer software.
• Customer Focus (Internal and External) – Actively pursue the highest level of customer service.
• Integrity and Ethical Management – The ability to work ethically according to professional and company values.
• Resilience – The ability to be resilient and to achieve through repeated effort.
• Planning and Organising – The ability to plan, organise and prioritise work.
• Motivation – The ability to support and encourage individuals and teams so that they give their best.
• Influencing – The ability to influence and persuade others.
• Time Management – The ability to make most effective use of one’s own time and that of others.
• Commercial, Technological and Financial Awareness – The ability to apply understanding of the company and industry to improve effectiveness and profitability.
• Delivering Results – The ability to manage workload and prioritise effectively to deliver results on time.
• Developing Self – The ability to focus on own development and to take action to learn.
• Adaptability/Change Management – The ability to respond and adapt to changing circumstances and to manage, solve problems and provide solutions in a climate of ambiguity.
• Health & Safety – The ability to apply knowledge, training, skills, and experience to ensure tasks are performed in a safe manner.
• Practical Skills – The ability to apply training and knowledge to complete activities where observation and recording results are essential.
• Problem Solving, Thinking and Communication Skills – ability to identify and define problems, generating alternative solutions, evaluating, and selecting the best alternative and implementing the selected solution.
• Personal Attitude and Professional Ethics – The ability follow personal and professional standards of behaviour in line with company values.
• Dissemination Skills – The ability to pass on information, knowledge, and opinions to a wider audience.

What we’ll do for you:

We offer an excellent package which includes a competitive salary; a generous holiday entitlement as well as the opportunity to purchase additional holiday, we also offer a discretionary annual bonus, BUPA medical and dental schemes, pension scheme with 9% employer contribution, life assurance, group income protection, SAYE schemes and free shares. With the encouragement and development you need, we help you to become your ultimate you. Beyond building a successful career, we also support the wishes and ambitions of our staff outside of the office in achieving a health work/life balance - the wellbeing of our staff is paramount to us, which we actively promote and support by regularly delivering a variety of wellbeing initiatives and offering responsibility based flexibility. There will also be opportunities to be actively involved in community and charity projects and to take part in numerous subsidised social events.

Polite Notice: We politely request that we are not contacted by any recruitment agencies. We have a preferred supplier list and high volumes of speculative calls from agencies negatively impact upon the efficiency of our business. Please help us to maintain the highest levels of customer service by respecting our wishes.