New Product Development (NPD) Manager

McCormick & Company; Peterborough; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A global food company located in Peterborough is seeking a New Product Development Manager. This role focuses on delivering new product development and enhancements for key customers while managing a team. The ideal candidate should possess strong experience in product development, team leadership, and the ability to influence stakeholders. This position emphasizes innovation within the condiment sector, ensuring quality and commercial viability of new offerings.

Qualifications

• Relevant experience managing product development from concept to launch.
• Proven experience in leading a team.
• Ability to influence stakeholders in the food industry.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of EMEA projects to meet business objectives.
• Oversee development and scale-up of new products.
• Maintain customer relationships and lead business development efforts.

Skills

Product development experience in food industry

Team management

Stakeholder influence

B2B client relationship management

Ingredient functionality knowledge

Consumer-driven product development

Commercialization knowledge

Strategic thinking

Education

Degree in science or engineering discipline

Job description

New Product Development (NPD) Manager

Peterborough, UK

The role is responsible for delivering new product development and product improvement for a key Quick Serve Restaurant (QSR) customer, as well as condiment projects within McCormick’s Branded Food Service business unit. The QSR scope includes condiments, syrups, seasonings, and coatings. The position involves designing and executing new products, line extensions, and brand maintenance, while also supporting operational incidents and driving cost optimization. NPD Manager focuses on horizon scanning and shaping the future development strategy for the QSR customer. The individual independently plans, prioritises, and executes projects to meet both business and customer requirements, defining the product vision in terms of consumer acceptance, sensory attributes, cost, timing, and plant efficiency.

Main Responsibilities

Manage Project Portfolio

• Manages and organizes the portfolio of EMEA projects relative to their responsibility, in accordance with business priorities and objectives, including consumer acceptance, sensory, plant performance, product cost, problem solving and timing to ensure products are executed right first time.

Oversee Project Execution

• Uses principles of food science and raw material knowledge to oversee, review and approve the development and scale-up of new, improved and cost‑reduced products within portfolio.

Customer Facing

• EMEA relationship management for a key QSR brand.
• Lead for business development opportunities, creates focus and prioritises the right briefs, delivering technical solutions and enhanced capability with agility to secure new customer business.
• Assumes a customer‑facing role in customer meetings, presentations, store support and trials, maintaining customer intimacy and project updates.

Ensure Technical Support

• Ensures technical support to customers as appropriate in person and by written and verbal communication, to support the customer intimacy strategy.

Team Leadership

• Manages a team for condiments and dry products to deliver business objectives.
• Supports NPD opportunities in other McCormick regions by sharing formulations, participating in global calls.

Candidate Profile

• Relevant experience in product development in food industry (managing the process from concept to launch).
• Proven experience in team management.
• Ability to influence both internal and external stakeholders combined with experience managing B2B clients’ relationships (QSR preferably).
• Degree in science or engineering discipline.
• Knowledgeable in ingredient functionality.
• Ability to apply business knowledge and technical knowledge to address problems related to product quality, cost, and ingredient sourcing availability.
• Knowledgeable in leading a team utilizing Consumer, Sensory and Marketing Research tools for consumer‑driven product development.
• Knowledgeable in manufacturing and supply chain to help drive commercialization activities.
• Higher level communication skills to work across all levels and functions.
• Works closely with commercial counterparts to establish product development priorities for business area.
• Works closely with external vendors to improve quality of vendor product.
• Ability to successfully move several projects forward at once.
• Proven record of identifying new opportunities and taking activities and accomplishments to higher level.
• Strategic thinker.

Agencies: McCormick as needed will work with external recruitment vendors through our Agency Portal. Unless previously contacted, McCormick does not accept unsolicited resumes from external recruiting agencies.

McCormick & Company is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, colour, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy/ies.