NPD Technologist - Manchester

Job Title: NPD Technologist

Location: Manchester, UK

Salary: Circa £30,000 per annum

Company Overview: Join a dynamic and innovative food company in Salford, dedicated to creating exciting and high-quality products for retail, food service, and B2B markets. We pride ourselves on our commitment to innovation and excellence, and we’re looking for an enthusiastic NPD Technologist to join our team.

Job Purpose: Support our NPD & commercial team to innovate and develop new and existing products from benchmarking to launching across various market segments.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop products in the NPD kitchen scalable to factory production lines.
• Manage internal projects and customer requests, ensuring timely completion aligned with the critical path.
• Organise and execute factory trials, including ordering ingredients, planning paperwork, and attending trials.

Main Tasks:

• Create recipes based on customer briefs or for innovation sessions.
• Cost recipes and complete NPD specifications.
• Prepare sample submission forms and customer presentation PowerPoints.
• Ensure packaging fits for inner cartons, retail bags, and outer cases.
• Source and order new raw materials and packaging for briefs.
• Organise sample requests, including labels, cooking instructions, and NPD specs.
• Adhere to critical paths for each project.
• Stay updated on food trends and macro trends influencing food choices.
• Organise benchmarking sessions for Christmas and BBQ.
• Maintain NPD stock organisation in the freezers.
• Develop new products based on trends fitting within factory capabilities.

Supporting the Process Manager on Factory Trials:

• Provide recipes, specs, and methods for new products during trials.
• Participate in taste panels and sign off on products/packaging post-trials.

Key Skills and Competencies:

• Experience in an NPD department within the food industry (preferred).
• Proficient in Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to work cross-functionally with a positive, can-do attitude.
• Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Experience on a food factory shop floor (preferred).
• Strong communication skills for interactions with internal/external customers and staff at all levels.
• Keen interest in food.
• Knowledge of meat-free products (advantageous).

What We Offer:

• Competitive salary of circa £30,000 per annum.
• Opportunity to work in a dynamic and innovative environment.
• Professional development and career progression opportunities.
• Collaborative and supportive team culture.