Product Development Technologist

Jordans Cereals; England; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading cereal manufacturer in the UK is seeking a passionate Product Development Technologist to join their team. This role offers the opportunity to work on NPD and EPD for popular brands while ensuring that products meet consumer needs. The ideal candidate will have a degree in a food-related field and experience in an FMCG R&D environment, demonstrating strong interpersonal skills and a problem-solving mindset. Join a dynamic team focused on innovation and quality.

Qualifications

• 1+ year experience in an FMCG R&D/Technical/Quality environment.
• Experience in delivering NPD pipelines.
• Confident presentation and leadership skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of NPD/EPD pipelines for cereals and snacks.
• Run R&D production trials to ensure product quality.
• Ensure compliance with food safety and legal requirements.

Skills

Passion for food trends

Strong interpersonal skills

Project management

Problem-solving

Education

Degree level food related qualification

Job description

We are on the lookout for a passionate and curious Product Development Technologist to join our dynamic Product Development team. This is a brilliant opportunity to get hands on experience shaping the future of cereal globally across our much loved Jordans and Dorset brands, as well as supporting some Private Label projects.

In this role, you will be at the heart of bringing new ideas to life, from the first spark of a concept all the way to seeing it on supermarket shelves. You will work closely with our brand teams and wider business to develop delicious, high quality products that consumers love, whilst making sure they are made efficiently and consistently. Developing both NPD and EPD from concept to launch and organising and running production trials, working to drive best practice diligence and execution.

Our Vision

We will pioneer a new era of cereal where our brands bring great taste and better nutrition, in the bowl and beyond. We are relentless in delighting consumers, which drives our commercial success. Our team is highly skilled, experienced, and passionate about crafting outstanding healthy cereals, and snacks.

Our Mission Principles

Champion the global growth of our core cereals portfolio by putting consumers at the heart of everything we do, delivering with precision, passion, and excellence. Ignite our future innovation, building from our core strengths and boldly exploring new opportunities to shape the next generation of global offerings. Lead the way in health forward living leveraging ingredient expertise and lifestyle insights to meet evolving consumer needs and drive meaningful impact.

What You Will Bring

Enjoy working with others, building relationships, and bringing teams together to make things happen. Keeping projects on track. Be organised, detail oriented, and keen to learn how to take ideas from concept to launch using structured processes like stage and gate.

Have a proactive, can do attitude that reflects our values: Be bold. Be creative. Do the right thing together. Make it happen.

A proven track record in food product development, ideally within the cereals or snacks category, bringing ideas to life that delight consumers globally.

A genuine passion for food trends, health, and sustainability.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the global delivery of our core and future NPD/EPD pipelines for cereals and snacks. Developing kitchen recipes which meet target consumers’ needs and our financial targets Running R&D production trials. Drive the end to end project journey from concept to launch using stage and gate methodology to ensure timely execution and strategic alignment. Promote a quality first mindset, embedding best practices and excellence across every stage of development.
• Deliver kitchen concept work to develop new products as well as upgrade existing recipes and troubleshooting product issues based on customer complaints, production inconsistencies, raw material/ supplier problems or nutritional targets.
• Run the R&D Kitchen to an auditable standard
• Deliver consumer delighting product development through kitchen development work. Enhance product quality by interpreting sensory research to understand product preference and NPD opportunities.
• Lead NPD & EPD projects from the brand plans to enable development of winning products in the future.
• Improve flavour, texture, quality, cost & nutrition profiles for existing products.
• Lead internal taste panels.
• Ensure excellent launch implementation of R&D projects.
• Successful factory trials to ensure the kitchen flavour / texture / nutrition / quality is replicable in the plant and through shelf life.
• Ensure recipes achieve target cost parameters once implemented through the factory process
• Follow all Quality systems and procedures to ensure our products meet food safety (HACCP), legal and customer requirements as well as maintaining external standards eg BRC, IFS, Femas
• Develop gold standard product specs for 1st production & beyond.
• Accountable for ensuring all systems are set up accurately and in a compliant manner first time, applying best practice.
• Work across the Product Development team to support the workload, product launches and trials as is required.
• Opportunity to own areas within the R&D team for personal growth and development.

The Person

Build Our Brands

• Consumer-first mindset– consistently places the consumer at the heart of decision-making.
• Collaborative working– operates as part of a unified team, engaging effectively with key stakeholders
• Problem-solving– applies a logical approach and knows when and how to escal issues appropriately.
• Balanced execution– combines rigour and pace to deliver high-quality outcomes.
• Effective communication– ensures timely and clear information flow across teams to support decision-making.

Be Bold

• Great prioritisation skills and works well independently
• Builds strong relationshipsand works collaboratively with the right people to achieve shared goals.
• Engages confidently across functions, including commercial, technical, and operations.
• Make decisions to keep projects on track
• Demonstrates strong interpersonal skills, fostering trust and teamwork.
• Acts as a strong team player, contributing positively to group dynamics and shared success.

Make it happen

• Self motivated and proactive, with a strong drive to improve products, processes, and team performance.
• Takes ownership, acting with integrity and personal accountability.
• Thinks on their feet, using initiative to solve problems and keep momentum.
• Works effectively in fast-paced environments, collaborating confidently within a flat structure.
• Positively challenges and inspires others, contributing to a high-performing team culture.
• Committed to development, continuously growing themselves and supporting others.
• Delivers with rigour and pace, ensuring excellent execution and tangible results

Experience / Skills / Qualifications

• Degree level food related qualification
• Strong interpersonal skills
• 1 year+ experience in an FMCG R&D/ Technical/Quality environment
• Experience of delivering NPD pipelines
• Confident presentation and leadership skills