Senior NPI Technologist

Role Overview

The Senior NPI Technologist will play a key role in ensuring the successful launch of new products in line with customer critical paths. This position will be responsible for projects, working alongside R&D chefs through the handover stage to product launch.

Key Responsibilities

• Work closely with the R&D team to deliver new products from the NPD stage through to successful product launch, ensuring product consistency is achieved throughout.
• Adhere to the PFM Concept to Launch Gate Process for all development work, driving products through and supporting team members where required.
• Coordinate product trials and pre-production runs, preparing for a successful handover to production.
• Take ownership of the provision of all documentation relevant to trials, such as nutritional analysis, shelf-life verification, and cooking validations.
• Ensure all ingredients, packaging, and factory trial paperwork are available and correct.
• Ensure compliance with relevant customer policies and PFM Manufacturing standards.
• Liaise with the R&D Chefs, Engineering, Quality, and Production teams during trials, pre-productions, and supporting the first production runs.
• Coordinate customer visits for factory trials and PPRs, alongside the R&D Manager.
• Assist in the creation of critical paths and ensure deadlines are achieved accordingly.
• Maintain systems such as Recipe Professor and internal factory systems, ensuring all are fully compliant and maintained.
• Responsible for the initiation of Customer Specifications and Artworks, ensuring any changes are clearly communicated to the central team.
• Responsible for the completion and accuracy of Customer QAS/QCCP documents.
• Trials and approves all new packaging items to ensure factory, safety, and customer requirements are met.
• Attend, when required, and be the NPI representative for weekly meetings, product handovers, customer sign-off panels, launch meetings, and post-launch reviews.
• Attend customer panels, particularly when referring to factory trial approval/launch approval.
• Support the HACCP team.
• Responsible for the thermal processing validation of all relevant factory equipment as per schedule.
• Raise Purchase orders as and when required for departmental needs, such as ingredients, and ensure GRNs are completed in time.

Innovation and Continuous Improvement

• Challenge current departmental processes and look for alternative and innovative ways to produce new and exciting products, as well as improving current methods.
• Support business change in the use of best-in-class processes and systems.
• Assist Production Streams in process reviews and improvement of current products and processes.
• Support in identifying and implementing profit improvement initiatives, including alternative ingredient sourcing and trialling, line efficiency improvements, and yield improvement.

Achievement through People

• Ensure engagement with other Operational, Technical, Procurement, Engineering teams, and NPD.
• Shared learning and cross-functional development to enable multi-skilled team members.
• Work together with other team members to create a positive and productive working team environment.
• Use quarterly one-to-one review processes to identify key development needs and create a plan to deliver and grow within the role.
• Responsible for the NPI Technologist and their training and development needs.

Requirements

• Knowledge and understanding of current legislation, relevant to food manufacturing and product labelling.
• Good computer skills.
• Good analytical and troubleshooting skills.
• Excellent written and verbal skills.
• Awareness of topical Food Safety issues and potential impact to Pilgrims Food Masters.
• Good background knowledge of relevant industry processes.
• Degree or equivalent in a relevant discipline.
• Level 2 Food Safety in Manufacturing.
• Culinary knowledge and a wide appreciation of food processes would be beneficial.
• 1 year's minimum work experience within an FMGC environment.
• Level 2 HACCP qualification.