NPD Technologist

Are you ready to make your mark in the world of beverage innovation? As an NPD Technologist at Refresco UK, you’ll play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our product portfolio, driving both New Product Development (NPD) and Existing Product Development (EPD) projects that fuel our growth. Collaborating with a dynamic team of experts and forging strong partnerships with stakeholders, you’ll act as a creative innovator, delivering exceptional, market-driven products.

NPD Technologist

Refresco - Kegworth Head Office, with some travel required to other Refresco sites and when visiting customers.

Monday – Thursday 8:30 am – 5 pm and Friday 8:30 am – 4 pm (Hybrid offering; 1 day WFH)

Permanent

Benefits:

• An annual 10% bonus
• Pension contributions
• Access to a 24/7 virtual GP for you and your family
• Life assurance
• Income protection
• An enhanced holiday allowance of 27 days plus bank holidays
• Purchase extra holiday (up to 3 days per year)
• Access to our brand new employee benefits platform offering discounts, cashback rewards, and access to more optional benefits
• Access to Grocery Aid – for free financial, personal, health and wellbeing support

The role:

Reporting to the NPD Product Manager, the NPD Technologist's key focus will be to develop and deliver NPD and EPD projects for Refresco UK, contributing to overall business growth. An integral part of the role will be forming strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders and acting as a market driven innovator, committed to developing 'best in class' products with Refresco’s values at the heart of everything they do.

Key responsibilities:

• Proactively work on a variety of customer projects (Private Label, Brand & Co-pack ), as designated by the NPD Product Manager, ensuring briefs are met and timelines are adhered to.
• Collaborate with key internal personnel to ensure product launches are successful. Providing all key information to generate formulations, methods, data sheets and specifications.
• Ensure raw materials are utilised which are technically acceptable for current processes; are readily available; are cost effective; are authentic; are chemically/microbiologically safe and are sourced from acceptable suppliers.
• Drive product quality, ensuring all products produced for assessment internally and externally are safe for consumption and of the best quality. Preparing all the necessary documentation to be presented alongside samples.
• Present samples at customer meetings and be a key influencer in driving next steps within the development arena.
• Understand and apply the company’s procedure on product development. Ensure new product formulations comply with current legal requirements and relevant codes of practice as well as being well thought out for the category in which they will sell.
• Develop a clear understanding of the commercial aspects of NPD including recipe costs, production requirements and hurdle rates to help ensure that NPD delivers to both internal and customer expectations and needs.
• Manage personal 'blue-sky' time, researching and developing commercially viable NPD to drive business & customer growth in new and emerging markets.
• Organise necessary sensory evaluation panels to support product development and general issues of company & customer quality assessment for the Technicians to complete.
• Support value engineering projects where necessary.

Key skills:

Industry Experience Required

• NPD experience within the food/beverage industry, ideally 2+ years
• Proven track record of developing successful NPD, demonstrating strong concept to launch delivery
• Strong communication skills

Industry Experience Preferred

• Experience within the UK soft drinks category
• Some customer exposure, either brand or retail
• Degree in science/food science or equivalent

Ultimately, we encourage everyone to role model our core values of agility, responsibility, passion, excellence, and entrepreneurship as we believe these are what has made Refresco successful so far.

Find out more about the Refresco Values here:

If you fit this profile and are excited by this opportunity, we would be delighted to hear from you

Refresco believes that equal opportunity for all is fundamental to our company's values and all our applicants can expect fairness and transparency in our recruitment process.