Head of Food and Drink Development

Bill's Restaurants; Greater London; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Head of Food and Drink Development to lead innovative product strategies. This role requires a creative and commercially savvy individual with a passion for food trends. You'll oversee the entire product development lifecycle, ensuring quality and compliance while collaborating with marketing and operations teams. Enjoy a dynamic environment where your leadership will drive product success and menu optimization. With generous benefits including annual bonuses and discounts, this is a fantastic opportunity for a mid-senior level professional to make a significant impact in the hospitality sector.

Benefits

20% Annual Bonus

28 days annual leave

Generous restaurant discounts

Employee Assistance Program

Qualifications

• Proven experience in food and drink product development.
• Strong understanding of market trends and consumer insights.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement food and drink innovation strategies.
• Lead product development lifecycle from ideation to launch.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams for successful product launches.

Skills

Leadership Skills

Product Development

Market Analysis

Creativity

Budget Management

Job description

This range is provided by Bill's Restaurants. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range

At Bill's Restaurants we are looking for a Head of Food and Drink Development.

To be successful in this role you will need to be a creative and commercially astute individual with a deep passion for food and drink trends, a strong understanding of product development processes, and excellent leadership skills.

About the Role -

Strategic Leadership & Vision

• Develop and implement the overall food and drink innovation strategy in alignment with the company's business goals and brand identity.
• Identify and analyse emerging food and beverage trends, consumer insights, and market opportunities to inform new product development.
• Establish clear priorities and roadmaps for product development projects.
• Stay abreast of competitor activities and industry best practices.
• Lead the ideation, conceptualisation, and formulation of new food and drink products.
• Oversee the entire product development lifecycle, including research, prototyping, sensory evaluation, ingredient sourcing, and recipe optimization.
• Ensure products meet quality standards, nutritional requirements, and regulatory compliance.
• Collaborate with commercial finance team to translate concepts into commercially viable and scalable products.
• Manage and optimize existing menus based on market performance and consumer feedback.

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Work closely with Marketing, Operations, Procurement, and Regulatory teams throughout the product development process.
• Build, lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing development team, this role will have one direct report a development chef.
• Collaborate with Marketing to define target audiences, product positioning, and go-to-market strategies.
• Partner with Operations to ensure smooth and efficient menu launches and ongoing consistency.
• Liaise with Procurement to identify and secure high-quality and cost-effective ingredients.
• Work with Regulatory to ensure all products comply with relevant food safety and labelling regulations.

Project Management & Budget Control:

• Manage multiple F&B development projects simultaneously, ensuring they are delivered on time and within budget.
• Develop and track project timelines, milestones, and resource allocation.
• Monitor and control development costs, ensuring projects meet financial targets.
• Identify and mitigate potential risks and challenges during the development process.

Guest Feedback and Ongoing Menu Refinement:

• Consistently measure guest opinion scores across all menu sections and address any product or execution issues on a weekly basis.
• Plan and refine guest feedback to gather valuable feedback for menu optimization.
• Analyse consumer data to make informed decisions about product development.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key ingredient suppliers. This includes brand partnerships working alongside the marketing team to drive engagement and brand awareness.
• Evaluate new ingredient options and technologies to enhance product quality and innovation.
• Negotiate terms and ensure reliable supply of ingredients.

What's in it for you - Benefits at Bill's

• 20% Annual Bonus
• 28 days annual leave (including BH) with length of service increase
• Generous restaurant discounts allowing you to enjoy Bills food as well as discounts across other restaurants in our group including the Ivy Collection
• Employee Assistance Program

Seniority level

• Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Full-time

Job function

• Product Management
• Industries
• Hospitality, Food and Beverage Retail, and Restaurants