Job Description:

Culinary NPD Team Lead

Location: Northamptonshire (exact location & package disclosed over the phone)
Working Pattern: Monday - Friday, 5 days on site (UK & EU Travel as and when required)

Are you a passionate food innovator with the leadership skills to inspire a high-performing team? We're looking for a Culinary NPD Team Lead to drive our UK innovation agenda, bringing exciting new products to market while shaping the future of our development function.

The Role
As Culinary NPD Team Lead, you'll head up the UK Product Development team, leading a talented group of NPD professionals and taking ownership of the full product development lifecycle, from concept and kitchen creation through to successful commercial launch.

Working closely with senior stakeholders across the business and the Group Development Team, you'll play a pivotal role in delivering innovative, commercially successful products that delight customers and consumers alike.

What You'll Be Doing

Lead & Inspire

• Manage, coach and develop a small team
• Create a culture of innovation, collaboration and continuous improvement
• Set objectives, drive performance and support career development

Drive Innovation

• Lead end-to-end NPD projects from concept to launch
• Develop exciting new products aligned with market trends and customer needs
• Oversee recipe development, product optimisation and benchmarking
• Deliver engaging customer presentations, tastings and innovation sessions

Collaborate Across the Business

• Partner with Commercial, Operations, Technical, Finance, Procurement and Supply Chain teams
• Work closely with the UK General Manager to deliver strategic growth initiatives
• Act as the key link between the UK business and the wider Group Development Team

Deliver Results

• Manage multiple projects, priorities and launch timelines
• Drive projects through stage-gate processes and critical paths
• Support the innovation pipeline and identify category growth opportunities

Ensure Excellence

• Maintain compliance with food safety, quality and legal standards
• Keep ahead of consumer trends, ingredients and emerging technologies
• Champion best practice in HACCP, allergen management and quality systems

What We're Looking For

Essential Experience

• Proven experience in Culinary NPD, Development Chef or Product Development roles within food manufacturing
• Previous leadership experience, with a strong track record of coaching and developing teams
• Successful delivery of products from concept through to launch
• Strong commercial awareness and food manufacturing knowledge
• Experience managing multiple projects and stakeholders
• Customer-facing experience, including presentations and product tastings

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced Development Chef or Senior NPD professional looking to step into a leadership role where you'll have real influence over innovation strategy, product development and team success.

If this looks of interest, please click apply and I will be in touch with more details!