Dessert NPD Manager - From Concept to Launch

Blakeney Point Search & Selection; Manchester; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Blakeney Point Search & Selection is seeking an experienced NPD Manager for a leading food manufacturer in the Manchester area. You will lead product development within the desserts category, driving concept-to-launch projects and shaping the NPD strategy.

The role combines creative leadership with commercial and operational thinking, collaborating with technical, operations and commercial teams to deliver innovative and profitable dessert products for major UK retailers.

Qualifications

• NPD/Product Development experience within food category.
• Experience managing or developing an NPD team.
• Strong concept-to-launch experience.
• Customer-facing exposure with UK retailers.
• Experience taking products from development kitchen into factory production.
• Strong commercial awareness around costing, margin and value engineering.
• The confidence to challenge, influence and work cross-functionally.
• A practical, creative and delivery-focused leadership style.

Responsibilities

• Lead the NPD function across the desserts category.
• Manage projects from concept through to launch.
• Lead, coach and develop the NPD team.
• Work directly with major UK retail customers.
• Translate customer briefs and market trends into commercially viable products.
• Lead recipe development, benchmarking and product presentations.
• Oversee factory trials, scale-up and product handover.
• Partner with Technical, Operations, Commercial, Procurement and Process teams.
• Drive innovation while balancing quality, cost, manufacturability and margin.
• Identify opportunities for renovation, value engineering and category growth.

Skills

NPD / Product Development

Team Leadership

Customer-facing

Costing & Margin

Job description

Blakeney Point Search & Selection is seeking an experienced NPD Manager for a leading food manufacturer in the Manchester area. You will lead product development within the desserts category, driving concept-to-launch projects and shaping the NPD strategy.

The role combines creative leadership with commercial and operational thinking, collaborating with technical, operations and commercial teams to deliver innovative and profitable dessert products for major UK retailers.