We’re looking for an experienced NPD Manager to join our product innovation team on a 12-month fixed term contract based in our Nuneaton manufacturing site. PROPER and Eat Real were born out of a belief that healthy snacks should taste great. In 2021, we joined forces as WARP (We Are Real Proper) to fire up the healthy snacking revolution. Our product team are at the heart of the healthy snacking revolution, as the tastemakers, creators and gatekeepers of all thing’s product. We’re looking to offer someone the opportunity to be a thought-leader and pioneer in the snack category and develop their career within a rapidly growing business. The Role: Creative, with a passion for food, you will deliver new tasty, healthier snacks to market. You will be responsible for leading the delivery of innovation projects (Eat Real, Proper and Private Label), developing new, original ideas and taking them from concept through to launch as well as projects to continuously improve our current, exciting portfolio. You will work cross functionally with our in-house manufacturing team, marketing and technical teams as well as external suppliers and third-party manufacturers to unlock exciting and commercially viable innovation within a rapidly growing business. Using scientific curiosity, you will build and use your knowledge and understanding of ingredients, components and the effects manufacturing processes with a robust, methodical and analytical approach to complex projects. With solid understanding of critical path management, you will be aware of what’s required to deliver a brief, on time, in full, as well as have the technical nous, agility and flexible approach to problem solving to tackle recipe and process challenges that may occur along the way. Key Responsibilities: - Ideation – working with Brand, Innovation & Commercial teams – you will dissect project briefs and customer opportunities look for food trends and inspiration, you’ll understand how consumer behaviours and the category landscape effect the product design and you’ll convert project briefs into detailed food briefs and identify areas of scientific exploration for functional ingredients - R&D – partnering with suppliers and scientific bodies, you’ll identify areas of exploration for functional ingredients and new process technologies. You’ll initiate and lead workstreams that enable scientific breakthrough ensuring the Innovation pipeline is packed with next generation snack products - Development & Prototyping – briefing suppliers and managing stakeholders – you’ll write detailed briefs and manage submissions with suppliers and project teams. You’ll design the prototype recipes ensuring nutritional compliance and claims, factory feasibility and commercial viability are all built-in and preparing for the scale-up - Scale-Up – working with suppliers and the Snacktory – you’ll plan, oversee, assess and report on trials ensuring the concept integrity is upheld once in market - Validation – collecting and assessing data which validates the pack copy and making sure our new creations can be produced safely and consistently by our Snacktory movers and makers - Testing – you will set up shelf-life testing, analysis, data collection and interpretation, run internal and external taste panels and create summaries, reports and recommendations - Stage & Gate Process – you will build the product elements of the Gate documentation following each phase of work. You’ll work with the project management team to flag and mitigate risk to the business using critical paths, commercial insight and factory impact. - Baseline – you’ll ensure that our NPD function is in tiptop condition, is continuously improving and integrating with the wider business functions whilst upholding industry best practice for the management of all aspects of product change Requirements: - You hold a degree level qualification in Food Science/ Food Technology/ Food Manufacturing/ Chemical Engineering - The role is primarily based in our Nuneaton site with occasional travel to our London office and customer’s locations (clean drivers' licence and an own car may be required) - You have 5 or more years of food NPD or R&D experience already under your belt - Positive, proactive and relentless, you’re able to get stuff done with a flexible, can-do attitude - Working within the Innovation team and collaborating across the WARP sites, teams and supplier base to achieve project goals- you are a team player but not afraid to fight your corner - Excellent communication skills are a must, verbal confidence combined with the ability to be concise in writing briefs and reports tailored to your audience - Highly IT literate, excellence in Microsoft Office suite of tools, with skills in Excel & Powerpoint - Oh yes and a love of snacking – passionate about food and with a discerning palate for product tasting About WARP: PROPER and Eat Real were born out of the belief that healthy snacks should taste great. In 2021, we joined forces as WARP to fire up the healthy snacking revolution. To set the bar for how better, more sustainable snacking is done. In coming together we supercharge our vision to take better for you snacking global. So there has never been a more exciting time to join the team. Our HQ is home to 50 of our team and is based in Central London. We’re also proud owners of a shiny new factory in Nuneaton. The location of the role is based in London and will require some travel between the two sites. Creative Pool previously awarded us ‘Best Brand to work for’ and we plan to keep it that way. Our Approach: PROPER and Eat Real is an equal opportunities employer and we do not discriminate on the grounds of gender, sexual orientation, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, gender reassignment, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, disability or age.