Senior Product Development Manager

Protea Recruitment Ltd | Food | Drinks | FMCG Recruitment Partner; High Wycombe; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Protea Recruitment Ltd | Food | Drinks | FMCG Recruitment Partner is seeking a Senior Product Development Manager to lead the technical development of innovative FMCG products across global markets, from concept through pilot and factory trials to commercial handover.

You will translate insights into viable product solutions and build platforms for long-term growth, collaborating with cross-functional teams.

Qualifications

• Degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Product Development, Chemical Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Extensive experience in FMCG food product development, innovation, or R&D.
• Proven track record delivering projects from concept through scale-up.
• Strong understanding of food manufacturing processes and product functionality.
• Experience managing pilot plant and factory trials.
• Excellent project management skills with multi-workstream leadership.
• Strong communication and stakeholder influence across levels.
• Experience with Stage-Gate or similar processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of innovative products from concept through pilot and factory scale.
• Translate consumer, customer, and commercial insights into viable product solutions.
• Build and develop innovation platforms supporting long-term category growth.
• Lead technical responses to briefs and define product development strategies.
• Identify technical risks, troubleshoot challenges, and implement solutions.
• Plan, manage, and execute pilot plant and factory trials.
• Collaborate with commercial, manufacturing, procurement, quality and supply chain teams.
• Develop relationships with suppliers and external partners to identify technologies and ingredients.
• Manage project budgets, timelines, documentation and technical deliverables.
• Ensure all projects meet food safety, quality, regulatory and commercial requirements.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives and champion innovation best practices.
• Mentor and support junior team members.

Skills

Project management

Stakeholder engagement

Communication

Leadership

Food industry knowledge

Education

Degree in Food Science or related discipline

Tools

Pilot plant equipment

Job description

Sector: FMCG / Food Manufacturing

The Opportunity

A leading international FMCG business is seeking a Senior Product Development Manager to join its central innovation team and play a key role in shaping the future of its product portfolio across global markets.

This is a highly visible position focused on delivering breakthrough innovation, developing new product platforms, and transforming consumer and commercial opportunities into scalable product solutions. Working across multiple regions, you will lead the technical development of innovative products from early-stage concepts through to successful pilot and factory trials before handing over to regional teams for commercial execution.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Product Development Manager, Innovation Manager, Senior NPD Manager, or R&D professional looking to work on strategic, high-impact innovation projects with international reach.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development of innovative products from concept and prototype through to pilot and factory scale.
• Translate consumer, customer, and commercial insights into technically viable product solutions.
• Build and develop innovation platforms that support long-term category growth.
• Lead technical responses to commercial briefs and define product development strategies.
• Identify technical risks, troubleshoot challenges, and implement effective solutions.
• Plan, manage, and execute pilot plant and factory trials.
• Collaborate closely with commercial, manufacturing, procurement, quality, and supply chain teams.
• Develop strong relationships with suppliers and external partners to identify emerging technologies and ingredients.
• Manage project budgets, timelines, documentation, and technical deliverables.
• Ensure all projects meet food safety, quality, regulatory, and commercial requirements.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives and champion innovation best practices.
• Mentor and support the development of junior team members where required.

About You

We are looking for a highly motivated product development professional who combines strong technical expertise with excellent project management and stakeholder engagement skills.

You will ideally have:

• Degree qualification in Food Science, Food Technology, Product Development, Chemical Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Significant experience within FMCG food product development, innovation, or R&D.
• Proven track record of delivering successful product development projects from concept through scale-up.
• Strong understanding of food manufacturing processes and product functionality.
• Experience managing pilot plant and factory trials.
• Excellent project management skills and the ability to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously.
• Strong communication and influencing skills with the ability to engage stakeholders at all levels.
• Commercial awareness and an understanding of consumer-led innovation.
• Experience working within Stage & Gate or equivalent product development processes.