The person who turns ambitious drinks concepts into liquid reality!
Our client is a growing drinks business working across premium alcoholic, alcohol-free and emerging beverage categories, supporting both ambitious brands and established drinks companies.
This isn't a bench formulation role. It's a creative and technical position where you'll take a brief — sometimes loose, feeling-led or commercially driven — and turn it into a viable liquid that works at scale without losing what made it special.
You’ll work directly with clients, own projects from initial brief through to production, and bring together formulation, technical, regulatory and manufacturing expertise to get the right product over the line.
What you'll do:
- Translate creative concepts and consumer needs into technically strong, commercially viable formulations across alcoholic, non-alcoholic and functional categories
- Own technical projects independently — managing timelines, client communication and delivery
- Act as a trusted technical advisor who can challenge and develop client thinking, rather than simply execute a brief
- Navigate regulatory requirements across UK, EU and US markets
- Manage relationships with suppliers and manufacturing partners, including factory visits, audits and pilot-scale trials
- Keep up to date with emerging ingredients, technologies and processing techniques
- Build and maintain a strong external network across suppliers, manufacturers and technical specialists
What you'll need:
- A degree in food science, chemistry or a related discipline, plus 5+ years' hands-on beverage development experience
- A track record of taking innovation projects from brief through to launch while maintaining quality and technical integrity
- Experience across both alcoholic and non-alcoholic development, ideally with some process knowledge across areas such as brewing, distillation or fermentation
- The confidence to work directly with clients and provide honest, constructive technical direction
- A genuinely independent working style — comfortable taking ownership and making decisions without close management
Benefits Include:
- Performance bonus
- long-term incentive opportunities
- professional development support
- flexible working with core collaboration hours
- pension
- healthcare and wellbeing support
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Beverage Development Specialist in Essex employer: Zest Food Jobs
Zest is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment in the heart of London where innovation and collaboration thrive. As a Senior NPD Technologist, you'll enjoy a culture that values ownership and teamwork, with ample opportunities for professional growth and development. The company prioritises employee well-being and fosters a supportive atmosphere, making it an ideal place for those passionate about food and product development.
