Head of Food and Drink Development

JR United Kingdom; London; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking company as the Head of Food and Drink Development, where your creativity and leadership will shape innovative products. You'll lead a talented team, drive strategic initiatives, and collaborate across departments to ensure the successful launch of exciting new offerings. With a focus on quality and compliance, you'll play a pivotal role in enhancing the dining experience for guests. This is a fantastic opportunity to make a significant impact in a vibrant industry, surrounded by passionate professionals who share your enthusiasm for food and drink trends.

Benefits

20% Annual Bonus

28 days annual leave

Generous restaurant discounts

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of food and drink trends and product development processes.
• Experience in leading cross-functional teams and managing projects.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement food and drink innovation strategies.
• Manage multiple development projects ensuring timely delivery and budget control.
• Analyze consumer data for informed product development decisions.

Skills

Leadership

Product Development

Market Analysis

Strategic Planning

Creativity

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Food Science or related field

Master's Degree (preferred)

Job description

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Head of Food and Drink Development, London

Client:

Bill's Restaurants

Location:

London, United Kingdom

Job Category:

Other

EU work permit required: Yes

Job Views: 3

Posted: 24.04.2025

Expiry Date: 08.06.2025

Job Description:

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 the 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 weekly.
• Plan and refine guest feedback to gather valuable insights for menu optimization.
• Analyse consumer data to make informed decisions about product development.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key ingredient suppliers, including 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 bank holidays) with length of service increase
• Generous restaurant discounts allowing you to enjoy Bill's food as well as discounts across other restaurants in our group, including the Ivy Collection