Product Developer (Food & Grocery Non-Food)
Employer: John Lewis
Salary: £48,300 - £77,200 Annual per year
Location: Bracknell based with hybrid working, expectation to attend the office 3 days per week
Contract Types: Permanent or 1 year fixed term
About the Role: We have an exciting opportunity to join our Waitrose Own Brand team as a Product Developer for food and grocery non-food. You will develop and deliver new & improved innovative and quality products, aligned to Own brand values whilst understanding and managing the commercial implications of development in the grocery environment. You will build, strengthen and own the NPD relationships between Waitrose and suppliers within the projects being worked on.
Key Responsibilities:
1. Keeps abreast of customer strategy, insight, market direction and consumer trends including those in food and lifestyle, packaging and ingredients to anticipate current and future customer needs.
2. Uses such insight together with internal and external sources of data to develop product proposition plans ensuring that speed to market and commercial viability is optimised.
3. Able to understand and clearly articulate good, better and best tiering principles and apply with clear product values in line with the Waitrose own brand strategy.
4. Good understanding of NPD capability within the supply base to support quality & innovation.
5. Uses knowledge to contribute to supplier strategy discussions for NPD to support the food (fresh & ambient) category requirements.
6. Collaborates with cross-functional teams on assigned projects to lead efficient delivery of NPD following a stage and gate development process ensuring critical path targets are met.
Essential Skills:
1. A passion for product with an active interest in food and drinks market trends, with the ability to apply knowledge and skills to the product development.
2. Previous product development experience within Manufacturing or Retail, including experience in launching major NPD/Brand projects from end to end.
3. Proven history of high quality, commercially successful product development & supplier management.
4. Ability to analyse and interpret customer and market data.
5. Stakeholder management with ability to present at all levels.
Desirable Skills:
1. Further qualification in food, grocery, Horti Buying experience; product technical experience.
2. Project Management.
Benefits of the Partnership and the Role:
1. Full-time working holiday entitlement 25 days holiday, plus public and bank holidays.
2. Excellent work life balance, including focus on well being and flexible working.
3. Defined Contribution pension scheme where your contributions will be matched by the Partnership (up to 8% of pay).
4. Partnership discount in store and online once you complete probation.
5. Simple cycle to work support scheme.
6. Health Care cover.
7. Access to exclusive hotels based in some of Britain’s most beautiful areas.
Next Steps:
The application form consists of a CV upload followed by application questions. Please ensure you refresh the page each time you complete a task to ensure you complete everything that you need to in time.
We occasionally close vacancies early in the event we receive a high volume of applications. Therefore, we recommend you apply early.
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