NPD Manager - Maternity Cover

The Collective Network Limited; Maidstone; Hybrid; GBP 39,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

A food manufacturing company in Kent is seeking an NPD Manager for a 12-month FTC. You'll oversee product development from concept to launch, collaborating closely with cross-functional teams. The ideal candidate has experience in food manufacturing, confidence in using data, and strong stakeholder management skills. This role offers hybrid working options and other benefits including health cover and a bonus scheme.

Benefits

Hybrid working

Access to learning and development programmes

Health cover

Bonus scheme

On-site parking

Subsidised meals

Qualifications

• Experience in product development within food manufacturing (non-negotiable).
• Ability to navigate retailer requirements.
• Confidence in supporting ideas with data.

Responsibilities

• Manage NPD pipeline from concept to launch.
• Partner with teams to ensure feasibility.
• Participate in annual Innovation Day.

Skills

Product development in food manufacturing

Retailer requirements understanding

Data-driven decision-making

Creative mindset

Stakeholder management

Job description

NPD Manager (12 Month FTC) Kent Upto £47,000 (depending on experience) Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm Hybrid options available

You know that feeling when you walk into a supermarket, see a new food product on the shelf, and think, “I bet I could’ve done that better”? Here’s your chance to prove it.

We're working with a food manufacturer in Kent who are looking for an NPD Manager to cover a 12 months (possibly longer) FTC. You'll be joining a genuinely collaborative team who live and breathe food.

Responsibilities

• Hands‑on from concept to launch – building out the NPD pipeline, spotting gaps in the market, and using insight to turn bright ideas into commercially viable products.
• Partner closely with the Category, Commercial and Technical teams to make sure what looks good on paper actually works in the factory – and on the balance sheet.
• Participate in an Innovation Day once a year, which is as much about creativity as it is about showing the business what’s possible.
• Manage juggling short‑term launches with longer‑term blue‑sky ideas in a fast‑moving environment where priorities shift.

Qualifications

• Experience in product development within food manufacturing (non‑negotiable)
• A good grasp of retailer requirements and how to navigate them
• The confidence to back your ideas with data and commercial reasoning
• A creative, practical mindset – you’ll need both
• Solid stakeholder management skills (you’ll be working cross‑functionally every day)

Benefits

• Hybrid working (once you’re settled)
• Access to learning and development programmes
• Health cover
• Bonus scheme (non‑contractual)
• On‑site parking and subsidised meals

It's a great gig for someone who loves developing products that actually make it to market – not just another PowerPoint deck of ideas.

Interested? Hit apply or drop The Collective Network a line. We'll talk you through the business, the people, and whether this one’s worth your time.