New Product Development (NPD) Placement Year 2026/27

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

Job summary

A leading food processing company is offering a 12-month undergraduate program in New Product Development. This program provides hands-on experience in concept development, product launch, and customer interaction. Ideal candidates should be studying a relevant degree and possess creativity, strong communication skills, and a customer-centric approach. The program includes opportunities for training and exposure to various departments in the food industry.

Benefits

Hands-on experience

Training opportunities

Valuable industry connections

Qualifications

• Studying Food Science, Culinary Arts, or related discipline.
• True foodie with vision and creativity.
• Engaging personality and teamwork abilities.
• Confident approach to learning.
• Ability to influence and communicate effectively.
• Full UK driving license required.

Responsibilities

• Conduct trend analysis and flavour profiling.
• Create concepts and develop recipes.
• Assist in process trials and factory launches.
• Engage in customer presentations and feedback sessions.
• Collaborate with technical and commercial teams.
• Visit farms, suppliers, and retail environments.

Skills

Creativity

Customer-centric approach

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Computer literacy

Education

Degree in Food Science, Culinary Arts, Product Development

Job description

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 non-meat 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)

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.

Our core business - ABP Beef - is supported by its renewable, pet food and protein divisions, which combine to ensure the value of by-products is maximised and the environmental impact of the business and our customers is minimised. In the past 10 years, our company has doubled the size of its business and continues to seek additional growth opportunities through organic initiatives and potential acquisitions.