NPD Technologist

Product Development Technologist

Summary

The Product Development Technologist role is both proactive,
taking opportunities to develop concepts to fit with brand strategies and
reactive to technical briefs from the marketing teams.

Key deliverables?

Manage
and be responsible for all technical aspects of a small design project
(typically a flavour variant).
Develop
product options to meet a marketing brief (meeting time, prime cost and
quality criteria)
Plan,
implement and review product development trials. These can be at any
scale, from bench work to full scale factory trials.
Present
samples to marketing and translate feedback into recipe and/or process
developments
Producing
draft product costs for comparative purposes
Estimate
costs of development work and track development trials budgets against
target, reviewing with line manager as appropriate.
Support
project manager and/or PDM in effective scheduling of project tasks and
identification of resource requirements (time, money, people)
Raise
any technical or project related issues that might affect quality, cost or
time of delivery with PDM
Keep
comprehensive records of all work carried out and report results as
appropriate, following the standards and procedures of the design team.
Brief
and liaise with suppliers in line with SMT = R&D/Procurement
strategies
Crucial

University
degree level qualification in Food Science/Technology
Proven
experience of key manufacturing processes
including process constraints is needed, as is a current validated
understanding of ingredients, creative recipe development and bench scale
techniques
Proven
record of trial planning, execution and review
Confident
in effectively delegating tasks to technicians, direct or indirect reports
such that they are clear on the task, timings and quality standards
required
Courage
to challenge and confident to prioritise, and know when to ask for help in
a timely manner
Proven
experience of product development in the ambient industry
Creative
approaches to problem solving
Food
presentation skills
Basic
understanding of health & safety requirements
Strong
understanding of food legislation
Desirable

Understanding
of Lean principles/Lean Sigma
Experience
in a similar role in another blue-chip FMCG company
Knowledge
of regional brands, business, key competitors and key markets
Project
management experience, including a good understanding of the roles and
responsibilities of project team members
Understanding
brand essence and key performance indicators
SAP
requisitioning experience