NPD Technologist

Found Food & Drink; Maidenhead; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

Found Food & Drink in Berkshire is seeking an NPD Technologist to join its NPD team. You’ll work across new product development and existing product improvement, turning customer briefs and market insights into commercially viable products.

Reporting to the NPD Manager, you’ll manage multiple projects, lead factory trials, and collaborate with Ops, Procurement, Technical and Commercial to deliver on time, with strong attention to detail and proactive ownership.

Qualifications

• Degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Nutrition, or related subject.
• Experience in the food industry, ideally in fast-paced manufacturing.
• Experience in chilled food manufacturing advantageous.
• Interest in food, innovation and bringing products to market.
• Strong organisation, planning and time-management.
• Proactive, self-starting approach with independence.
• Attention to detail to deliver accurate work quickly.
• Interpersonal and communication skills across functions.
• Commercial awareness for customer-focused products.
• Proficient with Excel, Word, Outlook and related systems.

Responsibilities

• Interpret customer briefs with the NPD Manager and develop new and innovative products.
• Own customer samples and submissions, delivering on time.
• Work cross-functionally to develop commercially viable products.
• Collaborate with Operations, Procurement, Technical and Commercial on feasibility and costings.
• Plan and lead factory trials through development and launch.
• Prepare for customer presentations with samples, costings, and docs.
• Maintain recipe and process documentation and update systems.
• Manage development activity against critical paths with milestones.
• Keep up with food trends to support new product ideas.

Skills

Project ownership

Organisational skills

Time management

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Proactive/self-starter

Education

Degree in Food Science / Food Technology / Nutrition

Tools

Excel

Word

Outlook

Job description

Working Pattern: Monday to Friday | Site-based | Berkshire

A fast-paced food manufacturing business is looking to appoint an NPD Technologist to join its NPD team.

Reporting into the NPD Manager, this is a fantastic opportunity for someone who loves food, enjoys the pace and variety of product development and wants to take real ownership of projects. You’ll work across new product development and existing product improvement, helping turn customer briefs and market insights into commercially viable products.

Working closely with colleagues across NPD, Technical, Operations, Procurement and Commercial, you’ll be involved throughout the development journey, from initial brief and samples through to factory trials, customer presentations and launch.

This role would suit an organised and proactive self-starter who enjoys managing multiple projects at once. You’ll need a great eye for detail, strong communication skills and the confidence to take ownership and keep projects moving in a busy manufacturing environment.

What You'll Be Doing

• Work alongside the NPD Manager to interpret customer briefs and develop new and innovative products
• Take ownership of customer samples and product submissions, ensuring they are delivered accurately and on time
• Work cross-functionally to develop products that meet customer expectations while remaining commercially viable
• Collaborate with Operations, Procurement, Technical and Commercial teams on product feasibility and costings
• Plan and lead factory trials, supporting products through the development and launch process
• Support existing product development and improvement projects where requiredPrepare for customer presentations, including samples, costings and supporting documentation
• Maintain accurate recipe and process documentation and update relevant development systems
• Manage development activity against critical paths, ensuring actions and milestones are delivered on time
• Keep up to date with food and consumer trends, using market insight to support new product ideas and opportunities

What's In It for You

• The opportunity to take ownership of NPD projects within a fast-paced food manufacturing environment
• Exposure to the full product development journey, from initial customer brief through to factory trial and launch
• The chance to work closely within an experienced NPD team while continuing to develop your own technical and commercial capability
• Broad cross-functional exposure across NPD, Technical, Operations, Procurement and Commercial
• A varied role where you'll work across new product development, customer projects and continuous product improvement

Your Background

• A degree or higher-level qualification in Food Science, Food Technology, Nutrition or another relevant food-related subject
• Experience working within the food industry, ideally within a fast-paced food manufacturing environment
• Experience within chilled food manufacturing would be particularly advantageous
• A real interest in food, innovation and bringing new products to market
• Strong organisational, planning and time-management skills with the ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously
• A proactive, self-starting approach with the confidence to work independently and take ownership of your workload
• Excellent attention to detail with the ability to deliver accurate work at pace
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build effective relationships across different functions
• Commercial awareness and an understanding of the importance of developing products that work both for the customer and in a manufacturing environment
• Comfortable using Excel, Word, Outlook and relevant systems to manage data, documentation and presentations

Join a Business That Invests in You

This is a great opportunity to build your career within NPD and take ownership of varied development projects in a fast-moving food manufacturing environment. You'll be close to the products, customers and factory, giving you exposure to every stage of bringing new ideas to life.

If you're passionate about food, naturally organised and enjoy taking responsibility for getting projects over the line, we'd love to hear from you.