Baked Product Development Manager

KP Snacks; Middlesbrough; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading food manufacturer in the UK is seeking a Baked Product Development Manager to innovate and develop new baked snack products. The role involves collaborating with various teams, ensuring quality and safety standards, and leading R&D initiatives. Ideal candidates should have FMCG experience in baked goods and a STEM qualification in a relevant discipline.

Qualifications

• Several years of experience in developing baked goods.
• Proven track record in managing and delivering projects.
• Confident in designing experiments and analyzing data.

Responsibilities

• Develop and commercialize new baked snacks.
• Design and lead robust experimental plans from bench to scale.
• Collaborate with manufacturing, marketing, and procurement teams.

Skills

FMCG Baked expertise

Strong technical skills

Project delivery in FMCG

Leadership/collaborative mindset

Education

Degree in Food Science, Chemistry, Engineering or similar

Job description

You'll be responsible for developing and commercialising new baked snacks across our UK brands. This will include recipe formulation, benchtop development, scale-up planning, and overseeing trials at factory level, ensuring every product meets our quality, safety, and brand standards.

1. Deliver projects with technical excellence and agility
2. Design and lead robust experimental plans, from bench to scale with strong focus on data-led decision-making, and help embed R&D best practice via enhanced tools and processes. Ensure product designs are factory-ready and transitioned smoothly into production using our P2M and MoPD stage gate processes.
3. Collaborate across KP and the wider Intersnack network
4. Partner closely with colleagues in manufacturing, marketing, procurement, and our Intersnack flavour team. Ensure projects are technically sound and commercially viable. Contribute to the Baked Community of Practice, sharing insights and championing technical innovation.
5. Develop yourself and others
6. As a member of the UK R&D Leadership team, influence the overall UK R&D agenda, and nurture R&D talent across the organisation.

This is an ideal opportunity for someone with solid R&D experience within a reputable FMCG organisation, with passion and knowledge in baked categories, and a genuine desire to develop and influence our wider R&D capability.

• FMCG Baked expertise: Several years experience in developing baked goods (e.g., crackers, biscuits) with a strong understanding of ingredients, processes, and functionality.
• STEM qualification: A degree in Food Science, Chemistry, Engineering, or another STEM discipline; relevant certifications or project management training are a plus.
• Strong technical skills: Confident designing and running experiments, analysing data, and writing reports to support R&D decision-making.
• Project delivery in FMCG: Proven track record of managing and delivering a portfolio of projects and programs within a fast-paced environment.
• Leadership/collaborative mindset: Natural affinity to lead, engage, and coach others, sharing best practice, and contributing to a positive, continuous improvement culture.

Join our snack-loving team! We're looking for a Baked Product Development Manager to join our team at KP Snacks. This role reflects our increased innovation focus on our baked snacks portfolio as part of KP Snacks' long-term growth ambitions. You'll bring specialist knowledge of baked goods/crackers/biscuits and lead the development and improvement of products from concept through to commercialisation. Alongside this technical focus, you'll play a key role within our UK R&D leadership team, to further enhance our R&D tools and processes, driving technical excellence with technical agility. Reporting directly into our Head of R&D, you'll partner with cross-functional teams across KP and the wider Intersnack Group, including marketing and consumer insights, supply chain, procurement, and suppliers/academia, whilst ultimately being a critical member of our One R&D Intersnack Community.