NPI Manager, NPI Manager

Pilgrim's Europe; Craigavon; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Pilgrim's Europe is seeking an experienced NPI Manager to lead the New Product Introduction team at the Craigavon site. You will own the NPI process, ensuring launches meet customer expectations and business objectives from concept to commercial production.

You will drive cross‑functional collaboration with Commercial, NPD, Engineering, Quality and Production to deliver successful launches while upholding food safety and regulatory requirements.

Qualifications

• Experience managing customer relationships within a food manufacturing environment.
• Experience leading factory trials and product launches.
• Experience working with product costings.
• Strong project management and organisational skills.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong analytical ability and attention to detail.
• Knowledge of food manufacturing legislation, food safety and product labelling requirements.
• Ability to identify cost‑saving opportunities and process improvements.
• Confidence in building relationships across all levels of an organisation.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the day-to-day activities of the NPI team.
• Act as SME for NPI activities.
• Support innovation and ideation initiatives, helping bring future concepts to life.
• Evaluate manufacturing feasibility during product development.
• Manage product trials, first production runs, and launch activities.
• Build strong relationships with customers and act as a key contact.
• Collaborate with Commercial, NPD, Engineering, Quality, Production and Customer teams for delivery.
• Drive adherence to project gate processes and critical paths.
• Lead weekly pre-launch reviews and ensure launch docs are complete and approved.
• Ensure technical validation, nutritional analysis, shelf-life verification and cooking validations are completed.
• Support artwork approval and specification processes.
• Identify opportunities to improve profitability, efficiency and product performance.
• Analyse current production methods and recommend improvements.
• Maintain compliance with food safety, labelling and legislative requirements.
• Deliver against KPIs, budgets and continuous improvement objectives.
• Uphold Health & Safety standards.

Skills

Customer relationships

Factory trials

Product launches

Costings

Project management

Communication

Analytical thinking

Food safety knowledge

Stakeholder management

Cost savings

MS Excel

MS Word

PowerPoint

Travel

Education

Relevant food industry qualification/experience

Degree in Food Science/Technology/Marketing/Business

Tools

Microsoft Office

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Shape the Products of Tomorrow

Are you passionate about bringing innovative food products to market? Do you thrive in a fast-paced manufacturing environment where no two days are the same? At Pilgrim's Europe, we're looking for an experienced NPI Manager to lead our New Product Introduction team and play a pivotal role in delivering successful product launches from concept through to commercial production.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a driven food industry professional to lead cross‑functional projects, collaborate with customers and stakeholders, and contribute directly to the innovation pipeline while driving operational excellence across the business.

NPI Manager

Location: Craigavon

Department: Product & Innovation

What You'll Be Doing

As NPI Manager, you will take ownership of the site's New Product Introduction process, ensuring products are launched right first time and delivered in line with customer expectations and business objectives.

Key Responsibilities Include

• Leading and managing the day‑to‑day activities of the NPI team.
• Acting as the site Subject Matter Expert (SME) for NPI activities.
• Supporting innovation and ideation initiatives, helping bring future concepts to life.
• Evaluating manufacturing feasibility during the product development stage.
• Managing product trials, first production runs, and launch activities.
• Building strong relationships with customers and acting as a key point of contact where required.
• Collaborating closely with Commercial, NPD, Engineering, Quality, Production and Customer teams to ensure successful project delivery.
• Driving adherence to project critical paths and company gate processes.
• Leading weekly pre‑launch reviews and ensuring all launch documentation is complete and approved.
• Ensuring technical validation, nutritional analysis, shelf‑life verification and cooking validations are completed.
• Supporting artwork approval and specification processes.
• Identifying opportunities to improve profitability, efficiency and product performance.
• Analysing current production methods and recommending process or equipment improvements.
• Maintaining compliance with food safety, labelling and legislative requirements.
• Delivering against departmental KPIs, budgets and continuous improvement objectives.
• Ensuring Health & Safety standards are always upheld.

Leadership Responsibilities

• Conducting regular one‑to‑one meetings and performance reviews.
• Setting clear goals aligned to business objectives.
• Identifying training and development opportunities.
• Coaching and mentoring team members to maximise performance and potential.
• Supporting employee engagement initiatives and driving positive team culture.

What We're Looking For

We're looking for an enthusiastic and commercially aware food industry professional who can successfully balance customer requirements, operational capability and innovation.

Essential Skills & Experience

• Experience managing customer relationships within a food manufacturing environment.
• Experience leading factory trials and product launches.
• Experience working with product costings.
• Strong project management and organisational skills.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong analytical ability and attention to detail.
• Knowledge of food manufacturing legislation, food safety and product labelling requirements.
• Ability to identify cost‑saving opportunities and process improvements.
• Confidence in building relationships across all levels of an organisation.
• Strong Microsoft Office skills, including Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
• Ability to travel when required.

Qualifications

Essential:

• Relevant food industry qualification and/or equivalent industry experience.

Desirable

• Degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Marketing, Business, or a related discipline.

Why Join Pilgrim's Europe?

At Pilgrim's Europe, our values are at the heart of everything we do. We believe in:

• Availability - Being open, responsive and ready to embrace new challenges.
• Humility - Listening, respecting others and valuing different perspectives.
• Discipline - Delivering on our commitments consistently.
• Sincerity - Acting with honesty, integrity and respect.
• Simplicity - Focusing on what matters most.
• Ownership - Taking responsibility and making things happen.
• Determination - Driving success through persistence and action.

If you're looking for an opportunity to influence product innovation, lead a talented team and make a real impact within a leading food manufacturing business, we'd love to hear from you.