Senior NPD Technologist in Reading

Our client is a well-established and growing food manufacturing business looking to appoint an experienced Senior Product Development Technologist to join their innovation team. This is an exciting opportunity for a commercially minded product developer who enjoys taking ownership of projects from concept through to launch and thrives in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Reporting into the NPD Manager, the successful candidate will play a key role in delivering the company's innovation strategy, managing customer development projects and ensuring products are developed to meet commercial objectives, quality standards and customer expectations. The role offers a blend of hands-on product development, project management and team leadership, making it an excellent opportunity for someone looking to take the next step in their NPD career.

Working closely with Commercial, Technical, Process and Production teams, you will lead development projects from initial brief through to successful launch. This will involve creating and refining recipes, producing customer samples, sourcing ingredients, managing costings and ensuring products are scalable and suitable for manufacture. You will also be responsible for monitoring project timelines, coordinating key stakeholders and ensuring development activities are delivered within agreed budgets and timescales.

As a senior member of the team, you will provide support and guidance to junior development colleagues, helping to ensure a seamless transition from kitchen development into factory production. You will also deputise for the NPD Manager when required, contributing to team leadership and helping to drive continuous improvement across the development function.

The ideal candidate will hold a degree in Food Science or a related discipline and have at least three years' experience within a product development or NPD role. You will possess strong project management and organisational skills, coupled with a genuine passion for food innovation and a proactive approach to problem-solving. Excellent communication skills are essential, as the role requires close collaboration with internal teams and customer-facing stakeholders. Candidates should be highly motivated, detail-oriented and comfortable managing multiple projects simultaneously within a dynamic environment.

In return, our client offers a competitive salary and an excellent benefits package. This includes an enhanced pension scheme, 31 days' holiday including public holidays and Christmas shutdown period. Additional benefits include a holiday buy and sell scheme allowing employees to buy or sell additional leave each year.

This is an excellent opportunity to join a successful business that continues to invest in innovation, people and long-term growth, offering genuine career development opportunities within a collaborative and supportive environment.