Head of NPD

• Location: London, England, United Kingdom
• Reference: W6833
• If you would like to discuss this job, please contact:
  Dhrutee -

The Company

This well-established food business has it all - the combination of stability/security and a great brand reputation balanced with a forward-thinking, entrepreneurial approach. Culture and values are paramount to the success of the business and super important for the UK team of this global company.

To help drive their brands and business forward, they are looking for a confident and highly capable Head of NPD to join the UK Head Office team.

Hybrid role - min of 2 days at the London office, with some UK and European travel.

The Role

This is an all-encompassing role where you will lead the Product Vision and Strategy to ensure that products are not only successful but fully align with the brand's commitment to taste, health, and sustainability. You'll be optimizing food standards and values, instilling a foodie culture, and demonstrating creative flair that will delight discerning consumers.

You will challenge the status quo through product, packaging, and technical innovation, highlighting new capabilities and shaping the future of the business. You'll keep up to speed with new food/consumer trends, ingredients, packaging, and technologies as well as the competitor landscape, so you can drive the innovation of on-trend products. This will be in collaboration with in-house NPD teams at European manufacturing sites as well as 3rd party partners, motivating them to deliver projects with energy and enthusiasm whilst ensuring cost parameters and technical requirements are met.

You will be required to brilliantly plan, manage, and successfully deliver NPD projects from start to finish whilst effectively influencing, briefing, and coordinating people cross-functionally at all levels to ensure clarity and alignment across project portfolio activity.

The Person

This role will suit a passionate and driven Senior NPD Manager with a Food Science degree as well as experience gained from a food manufacturing or food/drink brand environment.

We are looking for that special NPD professional who has strategic product development expertise, is insights-driven with a consumer-centric approach, and possesses amazing project management skills - and to top it off, is also technically savvy. You can showcase how you have created, implemented, and landed a successful innovation strategy for a food brand. You'll be able to apply your knowledge of consumer trends and use an insight-led approach to land new opportunities that are on-brand as well as competitive.

You'll need to have experience working with suppliers, manufacturing, and cross-functional teams to continually raise the bar on product innovation. You will be a natural communicator, able to effectively manage and influence key stakeholders, building strong working relationships to deliver significant NPD projects.

If you think you have what it takes to help this brand leverage their presence in the UK market, blowing the competition away, then please get in touch.

Apply now or call Dhrutee on for more information.

Contact

Blue Spark Organisation:
Tel:
34/36 The Broadway
Haywards Heath
West Sussex
RH16 3AL