NPD Technologist

drnewitt.vincere.io; Caddington; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

The NPD Technologist role focuses on end-to-end development of new products for retail and foodservice. You will collaborate with commercial and technical teams to evaluate briefs, manage development between sites and customers, and contribute to market insight-driven concepts.

You will liaise with customers, present ideas, conduct kitchen sample evaluations, and maintain records including handover documents and QAS support.

Qualifications

• Degree in Food Science or Food Technology, or similar.
• 2–3 years of food product development experience.
• Strong knowledge of current food trends, ingredients and seasonality.
• Good understanding of the NPD process, including concept development and customer presentations.
• Excellent communication and organisational skills.
• Proactive, hands-on approach to project delivery.
• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel across the UK and Europe.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate briefs and manage development between site(s) and customer.
• Liaise with customers, presenting ideas and building relationships.
• Evaluate kitchen samples and submit to customers with submission forms.
• Attend NPD meetings and keep trackers up to date.
• Maintain accurate records, including kitchen handover documents and heating validations.
• Organise sensory evaluation on market benchmarking samples.
• Stay updated on market trends and product launches.
• Maintain the NPD kitchen and freezer storage area.

Skills

Strong communication

Organisational skills

Proactive

Hands-on

Education

Degree in Food Science or Food Technology

Job description

NPD Technologist

The role:

Reporting to the NPD Manager, you will be responsible for the end-to-end development of new products within retail and foodservice, ensuring each concept is not only innovative, but commercially in line with product briefs and market insights.

• Working alongside commercial and technical to evaluate customer briefs and manage the development process between site(s) and customer.
• Liaise closely with customers, presenting ideas and developing working relationships.
• Evaluate Kitchen Samples. Submitting samples into customers and completing customer submission forms.
• Attend and contribute to weekly NPD meetings. Keeping NPD trackers up to date with latest feedback and next steps.
• Create and maintain accurate record keeping, including kitchen handover documents, heating validations, and supporting customer QAS.
• Organising and completing sensory evaluation on customer and market benchmarking samples.
• Keeping up to date with latest market trends and relevant product launches into the market.
• Maintaining the NPD kitchen and freezer storage area.

The candidate:

We're looking for an ambitious, creative, and hands-on NPD Technologist to join our fast-paced, customer-focused team. This is an exciting opportunity for a passionate food professional who thrives on innovation and enjoys bringing new product ideas to life.

What we're looking for:

• A degree in Food Science or Food Technology, or similar.
• 2-3 years' experience in food product development.
• Strong knowledge of food trends, ingredients, and seasonality.
• Good understanding of the NPD process, including concept development, customer presentations, and critical path management.
• Excellent communication and organisational skills.
• A proactive, enthusiastic, and hands-on approach to project delivery.
• A full UK driving licence and willingness to travel across the UK and Europe.

If you're a food enthusiast with a passion for innovation and a desire to be part of a dynamic team, we'd love to hear from you.