NPD Technologist

drnewitt.vincere.io; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

Dr Newitt is seeking an ambitious NPD Technologist to drive end-to-end new product development for retail and foodservice. You will work closely with commercial and technical teams to translate briefs into market-ready concepts and manage development timelines across sites and customers.

You will conduct sensory evaluations, track progress through weekly meetings, and maintain thorough records, including kitchen handover docs and validations.

Qualifications

• 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.
• Proactive, enthusiastic, hands-on approach to project delivery.
• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel across the UK and Europe.

Responsibilities

• 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 and submit samples into customers, completing customer submission forms.
• Attend and contribute to weekly NPD meetings and keep trackers up to date.
• Create and maintain accurate record keeping, including kitchen handover documents and heating validations.
• Organise and complete sensory evaluation on customer and market benchmarking samples.
• Keep up to date with latest market trends and relevant product launches.
• Maintain the NPD kitchen and freezer storage area.

Skills

Food product development

NPD process

Sensory evaluation

Project management

Stakeholder communication

Market awareness

Education

Food Science degree

Tools

MS Office

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.