NPD Manager
Cranswick Poultry is a specialty producer of delicious, cooked poultry ingredients and is a leading innovator in the industry. We create exciting, original products that meet the needs of today’s busy consumers. Working closely with customers, our bespoke chicken products offer creative and flavorsome lunchtime solutions.
As an NPD Manager you will report into and work closely with NPD Controller. Actively developing NPD team via coaching, regular PDP’s, appraisals and performance reviews.
The key elements of the role are:
- Develop and maintain a proactive Innovation pipeline, covering NPD, EPD and new concepts, aligned to business strategy, food trends, category insight and growth plans.
- Ensure all products are developed to deliver excellent eating quality, operational capability, food safety compliance and commercial viability.
- Lead customer presentations, benchmarking sessions and product showcases.
- Identify opportunities for product improvement, process optimisation, cost reduction and value engineering.
- Support category development through market awareness, competitor analysis and trend identification, showing a passion and curiosity for food, with enthusiasm for new ideas, emerging trends and product innovation.
- Ensure all projects are managed and delivered through the Stage & Gate Process with adherence to both Cranswick and customer policies.
- Ensure all documentation and systems are maintained accurately in line with best practice, customer and business requirements.
- Ensure customer launch plans are achieved on time through Critical Path management.
- Lead project review meetings both internally and externally.
- Build and maintain strong working relationships with retailer and customer teams through regular communication, face to face meetings and project updates.
- Attend customer meetings, presentations, product reviews and factory visits.
- Ensure team workloads and priorities are effectively managed.
- Work with Process Development team to improve process understanding, capability and supporting continuous improvement opportunities.
- Build relationships with suppliers and external businesses to support development plans.
Key Requirements
- A strong technical knowledge ideally provided from experience (min 5 years) from chilled/within a similar field.
- Degree or food related subject in i.e. Food Technology or similar.
- Strong understanding of retailer launch processes and customer requirements.
- Experience managing customer relationships within major retail accounts.
Shift is Monday to Friday