Liquid New Product Development (NPD) Analyst

Your Manager: Senior Liquid NPD Specialist

Team: Brands Technical Centre  

Location: Dumbarton

Be part of something big

We are Pernod Ricard, a leading company in the global wines and spirits industry with over 19,000 employees globally. We own 16 of the world’s top 100 Spirits Brands and hold one of the most prestigious and comprehensive brand portfolios in the industry with 240 premium brands available in over 160 countries, including: Absolut vodka, Ballantine’s, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute, and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater, Malfy and Monkey 47 gins, Malibu liqueur, Mumm and Perrier-Jouët champagnes as well Jacob’s Creek, Brancott Estate and Campo Viejo wines.

Here in the UK

In the UK, Pernod Ricard is made up of 4 businesses:

• Chivas Brothers, the largest brand company in the Group, responsible for the production and management of our award-winning Scotch whisky portfolio
• Pernod Ricard UK , which markets , sells and distributes our products in the UK market
• Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail , the global and EMEA home of the group’s duty free, air travel and cruises business.
• The Absolut Group, the brand owner of our global white spirits portfolio, whose Gin brand unit and Business Acceleration team sit in London.

We are an organisation of 2,000 employees in the UK, headquartered in London, in a brand-new office designed with sustainability, ‘conviviality’ and collaboration in mind. We also have offices in Scotland and various distilleries and production sites across the UK from Plymouth to London to Speyside.

Your new team

This position sits in our Chivas Brothers business. At Chivas Brothers, our 1,600-strong team across 27 sites is committed to upholding the heritage of Scotch and ensuring its sustainable future, as well as opening it up to new audiences across the globe.

The scope of Operations stretches from Procurement through conversion (distillation and maturation) and manufacturing (or bottling) to all the downstream Supply Chain activities until the final product is delivered.  In addition, Operations play a very active role in Innovation, Talent Development and Operational Risk Management.

The Liquid New Product Development (NPD) team within our Brands Technical Centre supports the business in developing new products from lab scale to launch and in process optimization. The team are based at our newly refurbished laboratory facility at our site in Dumbarton and are also responsible for training on new products.

Your unique contribution

You will have three main areas of responsibility:

• Product Development – to create innovative, food safe, stability tested Gin, Whisky, Spirit Drinks and associated Ready to Drink products from lab scale to consumer launch, providing guidance and technical expertise on flavour, colour, and final product.  You will carry out chemical analyses and organoleptic assessments and ensure that the quality of the analyses performed provides an efficient and timeous response in respect of Company intermediate and finished products.
• Product Testing – to coordinate the set-up of industrial trials, with suppliers, operations, planning and customer services teas and attend bottling trials where possible.  You will carry out accelerated and real time product stability trials for both Chivas Brothers and Pernod Ricard affiliates.
• Collaboration – to develop and coordinate new products to present to marketing teams based on own research and innovative ideas and carry out training and monitoring of the organoleptic panel members at Kennington, Plymouth and Dumbarton sites as needed.  You will produce monthly reports covering your NPD projects for the Senior Liquid NPD Specialist and Chief Chemist as well as dossiers and product manuals as required. 

Who you’ll be working with

Internally , you will collaborate with the wider Brands Technical Centre team, Production, Manufacturing, Blending, Planning, Marketing and Customer Services.

Externally , you will collaborate with our suppliers to ensure delivery of services to the highest standard.

Your blend of talent

This position could be right for you if you:

• Are degree qualified in a relevant scientific discipline and/or have equivalent experience in an associated sensory, product development or research and development product creation role.
• Are proficient in the use, development and understanding of techniques employed for liquid product testing and compliance and understand the chemistry associated with ingredients interaction and their impact on product and taste stability.
• Have knowledge and experience in methodologies: chromatography, sensory analysis, research techniques and project management.
• Ability to communicate technical matters and influence colleagues, peers, and senior managers.
• Hold a valid UK drivers’ licence.

Our mix of benefits

For your health , we offer private medical insurance, income protection and a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme.

Our lifestyle benefits include 25 days’ annual holiday (increasing with length of service up to 27) plus public holidays, your employee pension, share incentive plan, share ownership plan, life assurance and more

You can access lots of gifts & discounts, including an allowance each year to spend on our brands in our staff shop, our reward & recognition scheme and employee discounts from a range of high street retailers.

We have regular events in our very own office bar, employee-run networks, a culture of flexibility and trust and a variety of tools and resources to help you focus on your wellbeing and mental fitness.

Conviviality: the Pernod Ricard Way

We have our own way of doing things. We call it conviviality It’s our way of being, and something unique you feel and experience when working for Pernod Ricard.

We’re committed to conviviality, and with this, you’ll be Proud to Belong to our Pernod Ricard family. You’ll be Empowered to Perform, supported to succeed, and acknowledged for the value you bring.

We combine all this with our Commitment to Care: we are unlocking the magic of human connection to transform our industry and make a positive impact on the world though our strong focus on sustainability and responsibility.

We’re committed to diversity and inclusion

People are at the heart of everything we do at Pernod Ricard and are the foundation of our collective spirit as ‘Créateurs de Convivialité’.

We promote diversity and inclusion throughout our business and supply chain. In our teams, we proactively foster a diverse work force and an inclusive culture – an environment where we can truly be ourselves. 

We will assess your application for this role based on your skills, experiences and achievements, not your gender, age, ethnic or educational background or any other such factors. Please feel free to leave these off your CV and application form if you so wish.

Similarly, if you would like to discuss opportunities for flexible working or require accommodations or support to complete our application process, please let us know.

Responsible drinking

As ‘Créateurs de convivialité’, we want to turn social interactions into genuine and friendly experiences of sharing and wellbeing.

In our culture, we want to create diverse teams in which our differences contribute to our success. Therefore, all are welcome at Pernod Ricard, regardless of your religious beliefs or personal choices on the consumption of alcohol.

In our business, we work together with industry members, civil society, governments, local authorities and UN bodies to promote responsible drinking. 

Closing Date for Applications:

5th July 2024

Job Posting End Date:

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