Senior NPD Manager, Drinks Renewal & Innovation

innocent Limited; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

innocent is seeking a Team Leader to guide a small product development team through renewal, resilience and new product opportunities. You will work across marketing, finance, operations, technical, procurement and supply chain, ensuring smooth progression from concept to commercial production.

You’ll lead continuous improvement, manage budgets, and translate consumer insight into practical product ideas while safeguarding safety and quality across development, costing and risk processes.

Qualifications

• Experience leading a team and developing others.
• Strong understanding of the product development process within fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG).
• Experience delivering product development and continuous improvement projects.
• Strong delivery on EPD and line extensions under rapid timeframes.
• Knowledge of ingredients, materials, food safety and food-contact legislation.
• Ability to translate strategy into realistic research and development opportunities.
• Strong prioritisation, relationship-building and presentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead, support and develop a team of product development experts, while managing workloads, priorities and resources.
• Deliver renewal, resilience and product improvement projects through to three successful commercial production runs.
• Oversee budgets, identify future investment needs and plan relevant technical training for the team.
• Turn business strategy and consumer insight into practical product ideas and incremental opportunities.
• Work closely with internal teams, manufacturers, customers and external partners to keep projects moving.
• Make sure recipes can be scaled from kitchen to pilot and factory production.
• Ensure product development, technical, costing, safety and risk‑assessment processes are followed.
• Lead continuous improvement work and supporting innovation projects, planning sessions and workshops.

Skills

Team leadership

Product development

Continuous improvement

EPD & line extensions

Food safety

Ingredients knowledge

Communication skills

Job description

innocent is seeking a Team Leader to guide a small product development team through renewal, resilience and new product opportunities. You will work across marketing, finance, operations, technical, procurement and supply chain, ensuring smooth progression from concept to commercial production.

You’ll lead continuous improvement, manage budgets, and translate consumer insight into practical product ideas while safeguarding safety and quality across development, costing and risk processes.