Purpose of the Position
To lead NPD in our branded product portfolio. You will have a broad understanding of NPD/EPD disciplines and support our commercial, marketing and technical teams in product development discussions and category growth, driving innovation by being our internal champion and product expert for the key categories we trade within.
Using the wider team you will work to understand key market trends, create detailed product development briefs, establishing timelines, product attributes, target costs, formats, and packaging, ensuring alignment with factory capabilities and approved concepts. Be commercially astute, always operating within budgets, where given.
Own and report on the critical path of development projects, managing expectations and keeping stakeholders informed internally and externally.
This role requires direct liaison with both customers and suppliers on all things product and in doing so always delivering and maintaining the very highest levels of service to all key stakeholders. You will report to the Head of Technical & Development.
Key Responsibilities:
* Manage cross-functional project teams to deliver new products for the UK market and international markets, understanding and leveraging existing co-packer production capabilities.
* Create detailed product development briefs, including attributes, target costs, formats, and packaging, ensuring alignment with factory capabilities and approved concepts.
* Support development projects establishing key milestones and engaging cross functionally internally and externally to ensure successful launches were required.
* Brief wider teams on trends and projects.
* Build and grow strong relationships with suppliers and co-packers, keeping up to date with site capability.
* Be customer and supplier facing representing Delamere professionally in and outside the business, in the UK and Internationally by facilitating customer and supplier visits when required.
* Troubleshoot and navigate any project challenges internally, with copackers and/or customers to deliver project objectives.
* Work to always promote food safety and quality culture.
Key Skills:
· You have a working knowledge and experience of UK food manufacturing.
· You are a personable individual that can build relationships easily and represent our business professionally with all third-party activity.
· Holds either a degree level or other professional qualification/ experience in Food Science / production/Retail.
· Proven experience of managing NPD projects from concept to launch
· Ability to lead multi-disciplinary teams.
· Keeps up to date with industry trends and development.
· A passion for innovation and a forward-thinking attitude.
· Holds a full, clean driving license and is willing to travel within the UK and abroad where necessary.
Key Performance Indicators:
· Projects to be delivered within timings agreed by all parties.
· KPI - % Sales from lines launched in the last two years
· Willingness to collaborate cross functionally.
Key Behaviours
Communication
· Be kind and constructive.
· Respond in a timely way, acknowledging contact even if you can’t action it straight away.
· Communicate effectively around availability, deadlines, capability, and being transparent.
· Communicate with our clients proactively and precisely, in the way that they would like to be communicated with.
· A pro-active approach to your own training and development.
Flexibility, reliability, and availability
· Prioritize when a variety of tasks need to be completed.
· Be reliable and supportive of the team.
· Attend work at reasonable hours and do not misuse or abuse our remote working policy.
· Be responsive and supportive when the team and/or clients need last-minute support.
· Be transparent about your availability and workload and hours and manage expectations internally and externally.
Solution driven
· Be positive and resolve issues directly.
· Understand a client's desired solution and figure out if it’s realistic.
· Where there is an issue regarding deadlines, availability, etc., come to the matter with a solution rather than expecting someone else to fix it.
· Utilize our internal and external processes but if they're not working - always let us know.
· Be Innovative!
Collaborating
· Work well with others
· Consider the impact our words and actions may have on each other.
· Reach out to colleagues and check in.
· Value other people’s time
· Be proactive by owning your tasks, ensuring others aren't wasting time chasing you.
· Ensure you are genuinely helpful and do what you say you're going to do.
· Ensure you have obtained appropriate senior approval when needed (e.g., changing deadlines with clients).
Personal Development
· Be aware of your impact on others.
· Explore outside your comfort zone and seize new opportunities.
· Be aware of your own capacity and wellbeing, and always being kind to yourself.