NPD Coordinator (Graduate)

Hours: Days, 8.30am - 4.30pm, Monday to Friday.

GBR Recruitment Ltd are working exclusively with a well-established highly progressive fast-paced food production company based in Northamptonshire, recruiting for a degree qualified (recent Graduate) NPD Coordinator to join their team of foodies.

If you are a graduate with a degree in Food Science or other subject matter, seeking a career within the Food industry, then this is a fantastic chance for you to start your Food journey.

Applications are open to those with some Food industry experience & also to those that would be new to the Food industry but want to move into it & are passionate about the industry.

This is a great chance to come into the business in an NPD capacity, with a view of then developing into a Commercial Manager over the mid to longer term (real defined career path).

Our client specialises in high-quality meat products (cooked), dedicated to providing delicious culinary delights for all their customers, consistently looking at new product development & introduction, keeping up with the latest food trends.

NPD Role Overview:

As the graduate NPD Co-Ordinator, you will be responsible for the end-to-end NPD / NPI process including samples creation & planning, recipe / specifications creation, following the NPD Gate process (from initial brief to trial production). This role will involve collaborating with various teams across the business, ensuring highly efficient & highly effective new product development within a fast-moving industry that is developing & changing all the time.

Duties:

* Coordinate / Manage focused development of new products, including the completion of development costings ensuring they sit within the agreed commercial guidelines.

* Work closely with the Senior Management team, to understand the markets developments & trends, as well as the target consumer profiles / routes to market.

* Research & create new innovative on trend food products, that sit in line with agreed business plans & align with current marketplace developments, showing a real flair & interest in food & culinary trends.

* Challenge existing NPD / NPI processes, re-engineering where necessary (CI focus).

* Effectively manage the NPD / R&D process through the Stage Gate Process through the six main phases, including Discover, Scoping, Define Business Case, Product / Recipe Development, Product Testing, Product Validation & Product Launch / Production.

* Ensure you are up to date with the latest culinary trends via shopping trips, travel, restaurants, exhibitions, market reports, visiting places of interest, reading food journals & magazines to improve your culinary skills & knowledge of food trends.

* Utilise your creative blue-sky approach to food product development & recipe creation.

Qualifications/Skills

* Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Business Administration, or another related field.

* Knowledge of food industry regulations & food industry standards (preferred)

* You will have some Food manufacturing experience or be looking to get into Food.

* Excellent organisational & time management skills

* Strong attention to detail & problem-solving abilities

* Mathematical / Numerate (decimal places, percentages, etc.)

* Effective communication & collaboration skills

* Knowledge of Excel is necessary.

Graduates Apply Today & Interview ASAP