NPD Product Development Trainee (12-Month)

Stateside Foods Ltd; Westhoughton; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 26,000; Full time

Job summary

Stateside Foods Ltd in the United Kingdom is seeking an NPD Student to join our New Product Development team on a 12-month fixed term contract starting in June 2027. You will gain an understanding of working within an NPD department and support the function with a range of development tasks.

The role covers assisting from concept to launch, coordinating taste panels, packaging maintenance for chilled pizzas, and supporting customer submissions.

Qualifications

• Excellent communication skills are essential.
• Ability to multi-task and use initiative.
• Studying a food-related degree and holding a driving licence is required.

Responsibilities

• Assist the development process from concept to launch.
• Support NPD to ensure products meet business requirements and retailer briefs.
• Liaise with Technical Services, QA, Manufacturing, Purchasing and Commercial.
• Attend internal panels, capture key details and circulate promptly.
• Coordinate and lead regular taste panels; review the market.
• Maintain packaging folders for all chilled pizzas in the marketplace.
• Support customer submissions, prepare samples and complete paperwork.
• Attend factory trials and sign-offs as required.
• Oversee organoleptic assessments throughout product life.
• Create and assess cooking verification and validation when required.
• Research and produce a monthly trends and innovation report for customers.
• Organise a monthly innovation meal and report findings.
• Create and document 'News Flashes' for new products.

Skills

Communication skills

Multi-tasking

Initiative

Education

Food-related degree (in study)

Job description

Stateside Foods Ltd in the United Kingdom is seeking an NPD Student to join our New Product Development team on a 12-month fixed term contract starting in June 2027. You will gain an understanding of working within an NPD department and support the function with a range of development tasks.

The role covers assisting from concept to launch, coordinating taste panels, packaging maintenance for chilled pizzas, and supporting customer submissions.