Senior Development Manager

Novus Recruitment Ltd; East Midlands; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

A recruitment agency is seeking a Senior Development Manager in East Midlands. The ideal candidate will have extensive NPD experience in the food industry and strong leadership skills to manage a team. Responsibilities include driving NPD strategy and acting as the main contact for retail customers. The role offers a competitive salary of £80k–85k and a hybrid working model. This is a critical position integral to the future growth of the business.

Qualifications

• Senior NPD experience in the food industry with a strong retail network.
• Extensive knowledge across development, category, and commercial functions.
• Proven leadership experience in developing cohesive teams.
• Ability to deliver NPD strategies successfully.

Responsibilities

• Set and deliver the NPD strategy for innovation and growth.
• Lead a medium-sized NPD team.
• Act as the main point of contact for all retail customers.
• Manage multiple product ranges with growth objectives.

Skills

Leadership

NPD strategy development

Stakeholder management

Market awareness

Product lifecycle management

Commercial acumen

Job description

Senior Development Manager East Midlands £80k–85k plus package – Hybrid

Novus Recruitment are delighted to be working exclusively on this senior development role, an opportunity for someone with a background in product development who has been instrumental in using their knowledge, creative expertise and commercial acumen to deliver growth in own‑label or branded product ranges. You will have a strong background in NPD and innovation, and be agile enough to work in demanding, fast‑paced categories while managing numerous stakeholders internally across commercial, category, operations and finance, as well as external customers across multiple retailers.

Leadership skills are critical for this role to lead and develop a team, growing each individual’s skills across product development, project management and stakeholder management, resulting in a development function that is fully integrated into every part of the business.

As Senior Development Manager, you will be responsible for:

• Setting and delivering the NPD strategy to drive innovation and commercial advantage for the business.
• Leadership of a medium-sized NPD team.
• Being the main point of contact for all retail customers.
• Holding a prominent position within the Senior Management Team.
• Management of multiple product ranges with growth objectives.

This is a critical role and integral to the future of the business, so you need the following in your background:

• Senior NPD experience in the food industry and a strong network with retail customers.
• Extensive knowledge and a strong network of contacts across development, category and commercial functions within the food industry.
• Evidence of your ability to immerse yourself in a product category and stay aware of trends, market movements and emerging growth segments to explore and develop.
• Examples of successful development and leadership of individuals, resulting in strong, cohesive teams.
• Experience in delivering a successful NPD strategy.
• A tangible passion for product development and driving commercial advancement.
• Proven ability to lead teams effectively to critical path deadlines, with strong understanding of product and process lifecycle management.
• Professional influencing skills, building strong relationships with direct and indirect stakeholders across the business.

This business has a bright, driven and ambitious mindset. Plans for further growth are already well underway, and the Exec Team are keen to attract a like‑minded NPD leader to enhance their commercial edge. From previous placements, we know this business has a great culture and a welcoming team environment, with flexible hybrid working to balance the needs of work, home and team.

There is always more to discuss with roles like this, so as a first step, please send your CV to Colette Nichols to start the process.