Product Developer / NPD Manager

drnewitt.vincere.io; Dunstable; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Bonus

Pension

Job summary

Trades Workforce Solutions in Bedfordshire is seeking a Product Developer / NPD Manager to own projects from concept to supermarket shelf. You’ll partner with leading UK retailers, drive food innovation and launches, and work in a hybrid setup with regular on-site collaboration. This role emphasizes ownership of customer projects under the Head of NPD & R&D, with strong cross-functional support.

Qualifications

• 12 months–5 years' experience in Product Development or NPD.
• Experience developing products for UK retailers.
• Managed concept-to-launch projects.
• Strong organisation and project management skills.
• A genuine passion for food, innovation and creating market-leading products.
• A Food Science (or similar) degree is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Developing exciting new products from concept through to launch.
• Managing retail customer accounts and becoming their trusted NPD partner.
• Creating products in the development kitchen and leading factory trials.
• Presenting concepts directly to customers.
• Spotting food trends, benchmarking competitors and driving innovation.
• Managing multiple projects and critical paths to deliver launches on time.

Skills

Product development

NPD

Project management

Relationship building with retailers

Education

Food Science degree (desirable)

Job description

Product Developer / NPD Manager

Bedfordshire | Hybrid (3 days on-site) | 40-60K + Bonus + Pension

Ready to take ownership of major retail accounts without managing people?

This is the perfect opportunity for an ambitious Product Developer who's ready for the next step.

We’re looking for someone with 12 months to 5 years' experience in food product development who wants to own projects, build relationships with leading UK retailers and take products from concept to supermarket shelf.

You don’t need to have managed a team—your focus will be managing customer projects, innovation and launches, supported by an experienced Head of NPD & R&D.

What you’ll be doing

• Developing exciting new products from concept through to launch.
• Managing retail customer accounts and becoming their trusted NPD partner.
• Creating products in the development kitchen and leading factory trials.
• Presenting concepts directly to customers.
• Spotting food trends, benchmarking competitors and driving innovation.
• Managing multiple projects and critical paths to deliver launches on time.

We’re looking for someone who has:

• 12 months–5 years' experience in Product Development or NPD.
• Experience developing products for UK retailers.
• Managed concept-to-launch projects.
• Strong organisation and project management skills.
• A genuine passion for food, innovation and creating market-leading products.
• A Food Science (or similar) degree is desirable.

Bakery experience would be a bonus—but it’s definitely not essential. If you’ve developed products for UK retail and have the ambition to progress, we’d love to hear from you.

Why join?

• Work with some of the UK's biggest retailers.
• Genuine ownership of customer accounts.
• Clear progression into a senior NPD career.
• Hybrid working (3 days on-site / 2 days flexible).
• Supportive, collaborative NPD team.
• Competitive salary, bonus and pension.

If you’re an ambitious Product Developer looking for the role that accelerates your career, apply today or get in touch for a confidential conversation.