Dale Farm Ltd
New Product Development Manager (Emerging Technologies)
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New Product Development Manager (Emerging Technologies)
As one of the UK and Ireland’s leading dairy co-operatives, Dale Farm is entering an exciting new phase of growth, creating new opportunities across our innovation teams as we expand our capabilities and invest in the future. For talented individuals, this is a chance to join a proud farmer-owned cooperative with strong foundations, ambitious plans and the opportunity to make a meaningful impact. It is also an opportunity to build your career in a values-led organisation shaped by collaboration, innovation, sustainability and long-term ambition. We are seeking to appoint a New Product Development Manager (Emerging technologies) to drive NPD activity for emerging dairy products, with a particular focus on speciality milk proteins for clinical nutrition and food ingredient customers. This is an exciting opportunity to play a central role in developing new products, demonstrating their commercial applications, and helping shape future growth in a highly innovative area of the business.
New Product Development Manager (Emerging Technologies)
Role Summary
Reporting to the Senior Innovation Manager, the New Product Development Manager (Emerging technologies) will play a key role in driving new product development activity for emerging dairy products, particularly speciality milk proteins for clinical nutrition and food ingredient customers. The post holder will focus on executing projects that develop new products and demonstrate how they can be applied in commercial end-use settings for customers and consumers. The role requires strong technical knowledge of dairy products, hands-on experience in pilot and laboratory environments, and the project management capability to work confidently with key stakeholders and customers. Travel across the UK and EU will be required.
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Support the Senior Innovation Manager in developing new products across the Dale Farm Group. Manage internal and external activity to develop new products across a range of applications, particularly in speciality protein nutrition. Build, maintain, and utilise credible R&D capability, including pilot facilities and laboratory environments, to support development activity. Keep abreast of global dairy trends and competitor activity to support informed decision-making and innovation planning. Work closely with the NPD team to ensure smooth handover of projects to site teams and provide ongoing technical support as required. Develop relationships with key customers to help create new commercial opportunities. Liaise with technical service providers, ingredient suppliers, and equipment manufacturers to deliver commercially successful projects. Deliver R&D activities on time, within budget, and to agreed quality, nutritional, and food safety specifications. Secure appropriate funding support for innovation activities where available. Attend trade events and industry forums, representing Dale Farm within the clinical nutrition and food ingredient sectors. Work closely with operations, supply chain, production, technical, quality, and finance teams to ensure projects are aligned and delivered effectively. Track and report key innovation metrics, contributing to wider innovation planning, budgeting, and performance delivery.
Person Specification – Essential Criteria
Strong dairy processing and technical knowledge, with a proven track record in product and process introductions. At least 10 years’ technical, R&D, laboratory, or NPD experience within the dairy industry. Significant experience across proteins, cheese, powders, whey, milk powder products, and associated dairy applications. Demonstrable track record in R&D and new product development, including managing key projects and product introductions. Strong technical understanding of dairy products, with hands-on experience in pilot facilities and laboratory environments. Excellent project management skills and the ability to deliver work on time, within budget, and to agreed specifications. Strong relationship-building, presentation, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to communicate technical ideas clearly and concisely. PhD or MSc in Food Science or a related discipline, with a minimum of a BSc qualification. A proactive, technically curious, and commercially aware approach, with the ability to identify and act on market opportunities. Willingness and ability to travel across the UK and EU as required.
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Person Specification – Desirable Criteria
Experience working with international dairy markets and within the clinical nutrition sector. Additional commercial or business qualifications. Experience of securing funding support for innovation activities. Experience representing a business at trade events, industry forums, or customer-facing technical engagements.
Why Dale Farm? Dale Farm offers a competitive salary commensurate with the responsibilities of the role, together with a comprehensive benefits package. This includes 25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays, a contributory company pension, Life Assurance, access to wellbeing support through our Employee Assistance Programme, and enhanced maternity and paternity leave. We are also committed to supporting the learning and development of our employees throughout their careers.
We are proud to promote an open and supportive culture which is based on our core values:
Teamwork | Positivity | Resolve | Ambition | Curiosity | Accountability
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