New Product Developer

Join Our Team as a New Product Developer in the Innovative World of Chilled Food Manufacturing!

Are you passionate about food innovation and eager to make your mark in the fast-paced Chilled Food Manufacturing environment? The Compleat Food Group is seeking a creative and talented New Product Developer to join our skilled team and drive the creation of exceptional chilled food products. This is your chance to be at the forefront of product development, working with top brands and leading retailers to bring exciting new products to market. If you are working in Product Development currently and looking to step up to a Developer this is a fantastic opportunity to showcase your experience, skills and talent. To develop new and adapt existing products to meet customer and branded briefs which deliver commercial targets and are successfully scaled up to production. Building positive relationships internally and externally to deliver product launches with great quality on time.

The role is based from our Redhill site, but will include some travel to the production site in Lancashire, central London and occasional travel in Europe.

Why Join Us?

At The Compleat Food Group, you will be part of a team that values creativity, innovation, and collaboration. We offer an exciting work environment where you can make a real impact, develop your skills, learn from some of the best in the industry and really grow your career. If you are a creative food enthusiast with a flair for product development and a drive to succeed, we want to hear from you!

Key Responsibilities:

• Responsible for developing products on time and to budget
• Supporting the delivery of the innovation agenda – building the pipeline of ideas, supporting scoping new projects and actively participating in internal and external innovation sessions.
• Ensure concepts are relevant for audience and meet strategic goals
• First point of contact for customers for development – building positive pro-active relationships with customer product development teams
• Working collaboratively with cross-functional team to ensure feasibility of products that are developed in line with TCFG and customer strategy and policies.  
• Leading the product presentation in the feasibility meeting.
• Actively working with teams to solve issues and ensure concepts are able to be made to scale and meet sustainability criteria
• Working with culinary teams (where required) to create and refine recipes and packaging team to develop appropriate packaging solutions.  Assisting with sourcing and viability of new RMs.
• Ensuring Recipe Professor is accurate throughout the process.
• Create and/or ensure accurate NPD paperwork (feasibility documents, submission forms, handovers, nutritional info etc)
• Ensure product recipes meet appropriate food quality standards alongside commercial targets and within brand standards.
• Ensure benchmarking is carried out accurately and comprehensively present at internal and external presentations.
• Actively demonstrate passion for food and a good understanding of market and food trends.
• Compile critical paths and lead the ownership of these  – escalating issues and mitigating risks to ensure product launches on time
• Attend factory trials and  sign off panels to ensure production quality matches the kitchen quality signed off by the customer
• All projects to be logged and tracker maintained to allow for accurate  and frequent business reporting
• Consideration and inclusion of ESG objectives for development.  Supporting data input and collation as required.  
• Checking and approving artwork to ensure it meets specification and marketing requirements
• Manage team performance and personal development utilising One Compleat Framework (where required)
• Acting as the 'go to' NPD contact for home site – supporting the wider central NPD team with product knowledge, product sign off and general support at site level when required

Key Performance Indicators:

• Feedback from peers and customers
• Quality & accuracy of information
• Timely and accurate completion of tasks
• Appropriate and timely escalation
• Building a demonstrable understanding of RM parameters and production requirements
• Facilitating successful feasibility presentations
• Confidence in providing intelligent solutions to problem solving
• Gaining and developing knowledge to independently propose recipe development solutions
• Develop awareness of costing pitfalls/robustness of costing provided
• Understanding the appropriate level of challenge in taste panels and supporting the resolution of issues
• Support the delivery of ESG targets and building them proactively into product development

Knowledge, Skills and Experience Required:

Qualifications:

• Food based degree – desirable
• 3 years plus experience in retail or FMCG product development role

Key Skills:

• Extensive knowledge of product launch process ideally within FMCG environment
• Excellent communication skills both verbal and written
• Strong planning, organisation and project management skills
• Good analytical and numeracy skills
• Attention to detail
• Good level of computer literacy – Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Teams – Recipe Professor desirable
• Understanding of UK and European food regulation and legislation
• Driving Licence – desirable

Benefits to Include:

• 4% Matched Pension
• 33 Days annual leave
• 2 Employee Volunteering Days per year
• Online and High-street retailer discount scheme 
• Employee well-being and community support groups
• Informal and Formal training opportunities with personalised online LMS platform
• Charity Initiatives and Team events
• 24/7 Access to Grocery Aid (Free Financial, Emotional and Practical Support)
• Physical Wellbeing Benefits – Free on demand exercise hub and various gym discounts.
• Online Wellbeing benefits
• Free Financial wellbeing – mortgage calculators, budget tools, financial aid tools
• Holiday Discounts via Online Retail Discount 

Apply Now!

Take the next step in your product development career and join us in shaping the future of chilled food products. Apply today and start your innovative journey at The Compleat Food Group – a fast growing business, you won't look back.

The Compleat Food Group are proud to have built an inclusive and respectful culture where our colleagues feel safe, supported and valued. A place where they can bring their whole selves to work to achieve exceptional results and thrive.

We continue to attract diverse talent into our teams, because we know greater diversity leads to exceptional results and provides a better working life. That’s why we’re committed to ensuring Fairness, Equity, Inclusivity, and Respect in all that we do.

Recruitment Agencies: We have an active and trusted Preferred Supplier List to assist us if required. We do not acknowledge any speculative CVs or unsolicited candidate introductions from agencies.