NPD Technologist — Food Innovation Lead

Protea Recruitment; Bantry; On-site; EUR 35,000 - 47,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Job summary

Protea Recruitment is seeking an experienced New Product Development (NPD) Technologist to join our innovation team in Ireland. You will lead and support projects from concept to launch, ensuring technical soundness, commercial viability, and regulatory compliance.

You will work with Technical, Production, Sales and Marketing to deliver high‑quality products, optimise recipes, manage costs, and drive continuous improvement across the portfolio.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Food Technology, Food Science, or a related field.
• Proven experience in NPD, R&D, or a related technical role in food manufacturing.
• Strong understanding of food quality systems (BRC, HACCP, allergen control).
• Excellent project management and planning skills.
• Strong research and analytical abilities with technical reporting.

Responsibilities

• Lead End-to-End NPD process from concept to launch.
• Conduct market research, competitor analysis and trend monitoring.
• Develop and optimise product recipes meeting sensory, nutritional, cost and shelf-life targets.
• Ensure regulatory compliance and prepare technical documentation.
• Coordinate NPD projects with cross-functional teams and suppliers.
• Manage product costings and ensure targets are met.
• Drive continuous improvement in products, processes and costs.
• Present progress to stakeholders and organise taste panels.

Skills

NPD experience

Project management

Food safety systems

Cross-functional collaboration

Analytical skills

Education

Bachelor’s/Master’s in Food Technology or Food Science

Tools

Excel

Word

PowerPoint

Job description

Protea Recruitment is seeking an experienced New Product Development (NPD) Technologist to join our innovation team in Ireland. You will lead and support projects from concept to launch, ensuring technical soundness, commercial viability, and regulatory compliance.

You will work with Technical, Production, Sales and Marketing to deliver high‑quality products, optimise recipes, manage costs, and drive continuous improvement across the portfolio.