Npd Manager

**Reporting to the Head of Food Safety and Quality, responsibilities for the role will include**:

- Ensuring that all new products are developed in line with product briefs
- Communicating development briefs (product, price and technical requirements) to each site and maintaining constant communication through the entire development process
- Ensuring that all raw materials sourced are in line with preferred suppliers & customer brand standards, evaluating new & existing raw materials when required
- Ensuring that all products developed are in line with company strategy and that all developments are well communicated to all internal functions
- Ensuring that product benchmarking and new product panels are being carried out both internally & externally (with customers) across all categories
- Ensuring a rolling NPD programme with aligned customer through projected NPD plans
- Developing strong & lasting relationships with customers by continual communications by way of updates and NPD plans
- Presenting new products & upgrades to the customer in a professional manner, preparing samples, presentation packs & any theatre required
- Ensuring a close working relationship with the Sales and Technical team
- Attending internal & external taste panels when required
- Attending and leading weekly NPD meetings
- Attending site development meetings when possible
- Conducting store visits on a regular basis
- Ensuring a close working relationship with the aligned sites
- Awareness of and compliance with customer brand standards and FSA standards

**Essential / Desirable skills include**:

- Experience in an NPD Manager role or similar with retail customer experience
- Love of food and deep knowledge of food trends
- Great project & time management skills
- Customer contact skills including presentations
- Excellent interpersonal & communication skills at all levels
- Able to work both as an individual & a team player
- Need to be creative and have a thirst for knowledge
- Have an outgoing & confident approach
- MS Office working knowledge (Excel, Word, Powerpoint)
- Demonstrate an above standard knowledge & understanding of food

**The Company**:

- A Global Food Business with a strong Leadership position in its relevant market
- Believes in uncompromising quality and authenticity, which is evident in their consistently exceptional products
- Dedicated to using the highest quality ingredients to provide an outstanding quality product for the consumer