NPD and Innovation Manager

Are you ready to take an iconic food brand into exciting new territory?

Working on behalif of one of the UK's most loved premium food brands, we are recruiting for an experienced senior NPD & Innovation Manager to lead a dedicated innovation unit, focused on taking the brand beyond its core and into new categories. We're looking for an NPD & Innovation Manager to help shape and lead that agenda from the ground up.

Why This Role - NPD & Innovation Manager

• Join a market-leading premium food brand with a strong reputation and genuine innovation ambition


• A rare opportunity to build something - not just manage an existing pipeline


• Work directly with senior leadership on a brief that genuinely matters to the business


• Supportive, fast-paced environment with hybrid working (three days in the office)

About the Role - NPD & Innovation Manager

This is a broad, senior remit. You will own the innovation strategy - identifying new category opportunities, building the commercial case for investment, and leading products from concept through to launch. You will manage and develop a small team, run the stage-gate process, partner with marketing, commercial, operations and procurement, and help establish the ways of working for a new team.

What You Will Be Doing

• Leading innovation strategy from whitespace identification and consumer insight through to commercial launch


• Taking the brand into new categories - ambient, snacking, frozen and beyond


• Managing the full NPD and stage-gate process


• Building and presenting business cases to senior stakeholders


• Overseeing budgets including cost management and project spend


• Developing compelling product concepts, brand positioning and retailer propositions


• Managing and developing members of the innovation team

What We Are Looking For - NPD & Innovation Manager

• Proven experience leading innovation in a food FMCG environment, with a track record of successful launches


• Experience taking brands into new or adjacent categories


• Ability to use consumer insight and category data to identify whitespace and build a commercial innovation agenda


• Strong project management and stage-gate experience


• Commercial awareness with a clear focus on the consumer


• Degree educated or equivalent

About You

• Entrepreneurial, curious and creative - you see opportunity where others see risk


• A natural collaborator who can bring cross-functional teams together and influence at senior level


• Someone who wants to build something, not just manage something

Benefits

• Competitive Salary


• Bonus paid twice a year of up to 9%


• £5,000 annual car allowance


• 25 days holiday increasing with length of service


• Group personal pension with 4% company contribution


• MediCash Health Insurance


• Quarterly staff samples, annual company BBQ and more

Please note; due to the location of our client's office you must be able to commute to the office by Car (3 days a week). Please note there is free parking on site.

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