PrepWorld
NPD Technologist
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NPD Technologist – New Opportunity at Prepworld
As an NPD Technologist, you’ll occupy a pivotal role bridging product development and industrial manufacturing. Responsible for ensuring seamless transitions of new and redeveloped products from trial stages to factory trials, you’ll meet customer shelf-life, commercial targets, and consistency requirements while leading R&D projects critical to business innovation.
Core accountability lies in overseeing factory production trials, capturing outcomes, addressing critical issues, optimising yield rates—and ensuring full adherence to quality, safety, and customer expectations. You’ll also support new process equipment procurement, trialling improvements, and evaluating new raw materials to drive operational excellence.
Key Responsibilities
Core Project Execution
- Lead making new products ready for industrialisation, from lab development to factory trial validation, with cost-efficient execution and rapid delivery.
- Develop new trials tasks and ensure compliance with customer codes of practice whilst meeting manufacturing safety standards.
- Coordinate with Packaging, Technical, Production, Procurement & Planning for component availability during industrial trials. -/Gather external tools for projects, conduct full investigations of new raw materials, and ensure lab trials align with production process capacity.
- Liaise with external suppliers and stakeholders to source essential tools, ingredients, and components.
Technical & Quality Management
- Understand customer and in-house standards for all NPD processes and Generate Micro validation reports for new products, sharing them directly with customers.
- Facilitate organoleptic shelf-life testing and quality assessments, including new packaging evaluations, and ensure HACCP forms & work instructions are in place for all trials.
- Schedule and manage factory trials production, courier deliveries, and sample distributions, including customer/panel testing.
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Innovation & Cost Efficiency
- Actively spot opportunities in production processes and optimise recipe design for new products in early-stage development.
- Lead complex R&D projects supporting NPD & Innovation initiatives across the business.
- Collaborate with Finance, Production & Sales to cost-justify and verify new ingredients/processes post-trials.
Customer & Process Alignment
- Attend weekly NPD meetings and facilitate customer visits during production trials.
- Provide updates on development progress via company’s social channels.
- Ensure short- and long-term product performance meets commercial and technical targets.
Required Qualifications & Experience
Must-Have
✅ Critical Path / Concept-to-Launch expertise—keyword for process alignment. ✅ Hands-on experience in handing over trials to industrialisation, ensuring adherence to customer requirements for shelf-life, consistency, quality, and commercial outcomes. ✅ HACCP minimum qualification (Level 2). ✅ Technical background in FMCG manufacturing operations directly relevant. ✅ Ability to manage high-profile customer relationships, aligning with branding and quality needs.
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Desirable
✔ Food Science / Food Technology degree, HND, or equivalent relevant food subject. ✔ Chartered Internal Auditor certification (or equivalent validation qualification). ✔ Fundamental knowledge of food microbiology. ✔ Previously held management roles within innovation-driven technical teams.
Benefits & Perks
Financial Flexibility & Compensation
💰 Salary: £30,000 – £34,000 (annual, DOE). 💡 WageStream: Access up to 50% of earnings instantly post-salary registration, before payday. 💉 Medicash: Taxable health & wellbeing allowance covering:
- Dental, optical, physiotherapy, leg/footwear cover
- Lifestyle consultancy (fitness, insurance, etc.)
- Wider family access
Development & Work Environment
📚 Learning & Development: Dedicated internal programme covering Management & Technical Essentials, including technical audits. 📈 Non-Contractual Bonus Possible: Performance/contribution-based rewards. 🏢 Modern Workspace: Features on-site electric-charge parking and subsidised hot/cold staff restaurant. 🍎 Wellbeing Perks:
- Weekly fruit baskets on Wednesdays
- Strong appearance at office events 🏠 Flexible Work Options:
- Hybrid set-up (Monday–Friday, 08:00–17:00 on-site)
- Occasional remote work permitted dependent on operational requirements.
Location & Location Detail
📍 Northfleet, DA11 8HH – well-served public transport and A2 links with easy access to regional hubs.
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