New Product Development Technologist
Are you passionate about bringing innovative food products to market?
Do you thrive in a fast-paced FMCG environment where no two days are the same?
Ready to take ownership of projects from concept through to successful launch?
MacGregor Black are partnering with a well-established market-leading food manufacturer on the search for a NPD Technologist. This is a permanent role, based in West Midlands.
As NPD Technologist, you will play a key role in supporting the delivery of new product development initiatives across your category. Reporting into the NPD Manager, you will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams including Technical, Operations, Commercial, Planning, and Procurement to bring concepts to life. This is primarily an office-based role with regular exposure to manufacturing environments and weekly travel to suppliers, customers, and production sites.
Key Responsibilities
- Conduct ongoing market and category research to identify trends, technologies, and new product opportunities across Retail and Foodservice
- Develop and manage product concepts in line with customer briefs and business objectives
- Organise and lead benchmarking sessions (internal and external)
- Prepare and validate product costings to ensure commercial viability
- Maintain accurate records within internal NPD systems
- Support customer presentations with full documentation and product samples
- Lead cross-functional NPD meetings to ensure projects remain on track
- Ensure all development activity aligns with internal processes and procedures
- Coordinate and execute factory trials, including:
- Shelf-life assessments
- Sensory (organoleptic) evaluations
- Cooking instruction validation
- Nutritional analysis
- Work closely with Technical and Operations teams to plan and deliver successful product launches
- Manage launch phases to ensure compliance with specifications and agreed quality standards
- Occasional weekend work required for sensory assessments
What we’re looking for?
- Proven experience in product development within an FMCG environment
- Experience working with retail and/or foodservice customers
- Strong understanding of the end-to-end NPD process
- Ability to manage critical paths and coordinate multiple stakeholders
- Knowledge of food ingredients and their functional properties
- Highly organised, methodical, and detail-oriented
- Confident working independently and taking initiative
- Strong communication and stakeholder management skills
- IT literate
- Full UK Driving License
Competitive salary + benefits.
Please contact Alice Redmond for more information today.