Senior NPD Technologist

The Sterling Choice; Manchester; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

The Sterling Choice is recruiting a Senior NPD Technologist for a food manufacturing operation in Greater Manchester. You will own and steer food development projects from concept through to factory launch, translating approved recipes into safe, scalable products.

This hands-on role involves coordinating trials, managing timelines and collaborating with Operations, Engineering and the wider NPD function to ensure robust technical detail and successful market readiness.

Qualifications

• NPD experience in food manufacturing is essential.
• A Food Science degree or equivalent with knowledge of BRC/HACCP and retailer standards is preferred.
• Ability to lead and develop a small team in a fast-paced setting.

Responsibilities

• Manage food development projects from concept through to factory launch.
• Coordinate trials, first production runs and post-launch reviews.
• Balance customer needs with what can be delivered in a manufacturing environment.
• Collaborate with Technical, Operations, Engineering and the wider NPD function.
• Ensure the technical detail behind products is robust, including labelling and packaging.

Skills

NPD coordination

Project management

Team leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Food Science degree

Equivalent qualification

Job description

Senior NPD Technologist

Food Manufacturing

Location: Greater Manchester

Salary: £35,000 - £42,000

Getting a recipe right in the kitchen is one thing. Getting it right at scale, on a live production line, is where NPD gets interesting.

This is an opportunity to take genuine ownership of that journey.

You'll manage food development projects from concept through to factory launch, taking customer-approved recipes and turning them into products that can be manufactured safely, consistently and commercially.

It's a hands-on role. One day you could be coordinating a factory trial, the next working through a critical path, solving a technical challenge with Operations or Engineering, or sitting with a customer discussing their latest development.

You'll own projects through the Stage & Gate process, coordinating trials, first production runs and post-launch reviews while making sure the technical detail behind every product is robust.

That means understanding more than just the recipe.

Cooking and cooling validations, HACCP, microbiological standards, nutritional requirements, labelling, packaging and specifications all form part of getting a product successfully over the line. You'll need to balance what the customer wants with what can actually be delivered in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

You'll also have the opportunity to lead and develop a small team, while working closely with Technical, Operations, Engineering and the wider NPD function.

You'll need previous NPD experience within food manufacturing and a track record of taking products from development into production. A Food Science degree or equivalent would be ideal, alongside a good understanding of BRC, HACCP and retailer/customer standards.

More importantly, you'll be someone who enjoys being close to the factory, can juggle multiple projects and isn't fazed when a trial doesn't quite go to plan first time.

If you're ready to take more ownership of the development process and want a role where you can see your work go from kitchen bench to full-scale production, let's have a confidential conversation.