NPD Manager

Zest; Beverley; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Zest, a leading UK chilled foods group, is seeking an experienced New Product Development Manager to lead innovation across the site and drive commercial impact.

You will own the NPD and Innovation programme, manage Stage & Gate, build a proactive pipeline, and partner with Operations, Technical, Commercial and customers to deliver launches on brief and on time.

Qualifications

• Extensive NPD experience in food manufacturing, chilled sector preferred.

Responsibilities

• Own and drive the NPD and Innovation programme across the site.
• Manage a robust Stage & Gate process to deliver on brief and on time.
• Build a proactive innovation pipeline aligned to strategy, trends and insights.
• Lead customer-facing presentations and relationships with major retailers.
• Coach and develop the NPD team and collaborate with Operations, Technical and Commercial teams.

Skills

NPD management

Stage & Gate process

Project management

Stakeholder management

Customer presentations

Team leadership

Job description

Join one of the UK's most reputable chilled food groups as their next New Product Development Manager, at a site that has secured a multiple million pound investment and is rapidly expanding. This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced NPD professional to take the lead on innovation, drive real commercial impact and be a key face of the business in front of customers.

As NPD Manager, you will own and drive the NPD and Innovation programme across the site, managing a robust Stage & Gate process that delivers products right first time, on brief and on time. You will build a proactive innovation pipeline covering NPD, EPD and new concepts, aligned to business strategy, food trends and category insight, while ensuring every product delivers on eating quality, operational capability, food safety and commercial viability.

You will be a key customer-facing representative for the business, leading presentations, benchmarking sessions and product showcases, and building strong, lasting relationships with major retailer and customer teams. Confidence in front of the customer is essential, as is the ability to manage critical paths effectively, keep launch plans on track and communicate project status, risks and mitigation plans clearly and proactively.

Leading a team including a Senior NPD Technologist, Junior NPD Technologist and NPD Apprentice, you will coach and develop your team, creating a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement, while working closely with Operations, Technical, Commercial, Procurement and Planning to keep everything moving in the right direction.

To succeed in this role, you will bring solid NPD experience gained within food manufacturing, ideally chilled, along with a genuine passion for food, strong commercial awareness and a track record of managing teams and customer relationships with confidence.

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