New Product Development (NPD) Placement Year 2026/27

ABP Food Group; Ellesmere; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading food innovation company is offering an undergraduate programme in New Product Development. This 12-month program will provide hands-on experience from concept to market launch. Ideal candidates are food science undergraduates who are creative, customer-centric, and great communicators. Join us at ABP to enhance your skills in a dynamic environment and kickstart your career in the fresh food industry.

Qualifications

• Undergraduates studying for a degree in Food Science, Culinary Arts, or Product Development.
• Full UK driving licence required due to site remoteness.

Responsibilities

• Work with culinary, concept, and process teams on product development.
• Conduct trend analysis and flavour profiling.
• Engage in customer presentations and feedback sessions.

Skills

Creativity

Customer-centricity

Strong communication

Attention to detail

Computer literacy

Education

Degree in Food Science or related discipline

Job description

ABP is one of Europe's leading beef processors. We have built our success on entrepreneurship, technological investment and a deep knowledge of the sectors in which we operate. As key stakeholders in the integrity of the food supply chain, we are focused on ensuring the full traceability of our products. With different career development paths available, you can follow the placement route, graduate scheme or apprenticeship opportunity, gaining hands-on experience, learning valuable industry skills and gaining an in-depth understanding of the business and its sectors.

Opportunity Details

We lead the industry with our NPD programmes, providing the commercial teams with the best possible platform to develop business with a wide range of customers. Our undergraduate programme will provide individuals with a thorough understanding of all aspects of New Product Development, from concept to launch and everything in between.

This is a fantastic opportunity for undergraduates who wish to pursue a career in the fresh food industry. It will give individuals practical experience of working for one of Europe's largest meat businesses, offering the opportunity to build valuable industry connections by gaining exposure to various departments and their roles in bringing innovative, safe, and profitable products to market. You'll gain a comprehensive understanding of the business, not only the fresh meat operations, but also how consumer trends shape product development and how waste is repurposed into pet food. You'll also have the chance to visit our nonmeat site, Eat Well.

Undergraduate Programme

The New Product Development function within ABP ensures that our products are on trend, profitable, and food safe, meeting our customers' policies and consumer need states. This 12-month undergraduate programme will ensure that you gain hands-on, practical experience in concept development and product launch.

Throughout the year, you will work with culinary, concept, and process teams, gaining an understanding of their roles and how they contribute to developing and launching products. Your journey will take in everything from understanding food trends and flavours, turning these ideas into product concepts, and working closely with departments such as technical, commercial, and operations to take them through to factory launch – after which you'll get to see your products on supermarket shelves.

You'll be involved in various areas of the NPD function, such as:

• Trend analysis and flavour profiling
• Concept creation and recipe development
• Process trials and factory launches
• Customer presentations and feedback sessions
• Collaboration with technical and commercial teams
• Visits to farms, suppliers, and retail environments

You'll also have the chance to complete training to support your development, such as sensory evaluation, food safety, and project management.

Knowledge & Experience

We're looking for undergraduates studying for a degree in Food Science, Culinary Arts, Product Development, or a related discipline.

In addition, individuals should:

• Be a true foodie with vision and creativity
• Be customer-centric and commercially aware
• Have an engaging personality and work well with others
• Demonstrate a confident approach to learning
• Be great communicators with an ability to influence others
• Be keen on detail and highly computer literate
• Hold a full UK driving licence (due to the remoteness of our sites)

Ready to take the next step? Apply now and start your journey with ABP—where your future in food innovation begins.