Senior NPD Technologist

Henderson Brown Recruitment; Peterborough; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading food innovation company in the UK is seeking a Senior NPD Technologist to drive product development and concept innovation. The ideal candidate will have experience in UK food manufacturing and supplying products to retailers. This pivotal role offers an annual salary of £35,000 - £38,000, allowing you to lead a talented team and bring innovative ideas to market.

Qualifications

• Experience in UK food manufacturing NPD role is essential.
• Experience supplying food products to UK retailers is essential.
• Full UK working rights required.

Responsibilities

• Drive concept-to-brief innovation and oversee pipeline delivery.
• Research trends and analyze competitive landscapes.
• Collaborate with Brand, Technical, and Commercial teams.
• Create commercially viable concepts meeting margin targets.
• Build strong customer relationships and manage communication.
• Source new ingredients for product development.
• Ensure seamless project handovers for new products.
• Challenge processes and elevate NPD excellence.

Skills

Creative food development

Trend analysis

Concept creation

Product development

Customer relationship management

Job description

Senior NPD Technologist

Peterborough

Permanent | £35,000 - £38,000 d.o.e

Are you a creative food developer with a passion for trend-driven innovation, concept creation, and bringing great ideas to life? This is your chance to step into a pivotal Senior NPD Technologist role where you'll lead early-stage development, inspire a talented concept team, and shape the next generation of breakthrough products.

Join a business where insight, creativity, and commercial thinking come together to deliver standout innovation for major retailers and exciting branded ranges.

What you'll be doing as the Senior NPD Technologist:

• Drive concept-to-brief innovation, leading the Concept Technologist team and overseeing pipeline delivery, idea generation, and early-stage product development.
• Champion category insight, continuously researching trends, analysing competitive landscapes, and sharing market-leading inspiration to fuel game-changing NPD and EPD.
• Lead branded innovation, collaborating closely with Brand, Technical, and Commercial teams to deliver future-focused concepts aligned to brand standards and critical paths.
• Create commercially viable concepts, ensuring margin targets, customer expectations, and consumer needs are met across all new and upgraded products.
• Build strong customer relationships, presenting ideas, managing communication, and representing the category with energy, clarity, and expertise.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Buying, Technical, Packaging, and Operational teams to source new ingredients, validate feasibility, and shape factory-ready solutions.
• Ensure seamless project handovers, supplying accurate documentation, samples, and support for trials, pre-production, and launch.
• Champion continuous improvement, challenging processes, enhancing concept workflows, and elevating NPD excellence across the full development cycle.

What you'll need as the Senior NPD Technologist:

• Experience within a UK food manufacturing NPD role is essential to be considered.
• Experience with supplying food products to UK retailers is essential to be considered.
• Full UK working rights are needed. No visas available.

If you believe you have the skills and personality to fit these requirements, please either apply via this advert or call Henderson Brown for more information.