Gregory Walker
New Product Development Manager
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
About the Company
Our client is a well-established and growing UK food retailer with a strong presence across the South of England.
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and commercially focused Multi-Category New Product Development (NPD) Manager to lead the development and launch of innovative products across a broad food portfolio.
The Role
Reporting to the COO, you will take ownership of the end-to-end product development process, managing multiple projects simultaneously from concept through to successful launch. Working cross-functionally with Commercial, Operations, Manufacturing, Procurement, Technical, Marketing and Supply Chain teams, you'll ensure new products meet customer expectations while delivering operational excellence and commercial success.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the complete NPD process from concept through to launch.
- Develop commercially viable products that support business growth.
- Create and manage category innovation pipelines.
- Identify emerging food trends and translate them into successful retail products.
- Develop seasonal promotions and limited-time offers.
- Continuously improve existing products through reformulation, quality improvements, and cost optimization.
- Own and manage multiple product critical paths.
- Coordinate cross-functional project teams to deliver launches on time and within budget.
- Work closely with manufacturing partners and production teams through factory trials and first production runs.
- Ensure products are operationally achievable without compromising quality.
- Monitor product performance following launch and recommend continuous improvements.
- Support value engineering initiatives while maintaining product quality and customer appeal.
- Ensure full compliance with food safety, allergen, nutritional, and quality standards.
Reasons to use Rodeo
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
It searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
About You
You'll be an experienced NPD professional with a passion for food innovation and a strong commercial mindset. You'll thrive in a fast-paced environment and be comfortable managing multiple development projects simultaneously.
Essential Experience
- Minimum five years' experience in New Product Development.
- Experience across multiple food categories.
- Strong project management skills.
- Experience within food manufacturing or retail food production.
- Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
- Commercial awareness with the ability to balance innovation and profitability.
- Experience managing product critical paths and multiple concurrent projects.
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Skills
Location