NPD and Innovation Manager

Are you ready to take an iconic food brand into exciting new territory?

Why This Role - NPD & Innovation Manager

• Join a market-leading premium food brand with a strong reputation and genuine innovation ambition
• A rare opportunity to build something - not just manage an existing pipeline
• Work directly with senior leadership on a brief that genuinely matters to the business
• Supportive, fast-paced environment with hybrid working (three days in the office)

About the Role - NPD & Innovation Manager

This is a broad, senior remit. You will own the innovation strategy - identifying new category opportunities, building the commercial case for investment, and leading products from concept through to launch. You will manage and develop a small team, run the stage‑gate process, partner with marketing, commercial, operations and procurement, and help establish the ways of working for a new team.

What You Will Be Doing

• Leading innovation strategy from whitespace identification and consumer insight through to commercial launch
• Taking the brand into new categories - ambient, snacking, frozen and beyond
• Managing the full NPD and stage‑gate process
• Building and presenting business cases to senior stakeholders
• Overseeing budgets including cost management and project spend
• Developing compelling product concepts, brand positioning and retailer propositions
• Managing and developing members of the innovation team

What We Are Looking For - NPD & Innovation Manager

• Proven experience leading innovation in a food FMCG environment, with a track record of successful launches
• Experience taking brands into new or adjacent categories
• Ability to use consumer insight and category data to identify whitespace and build a commercial innovation agenda
• Strong project management and stage‑gate experience
• Commercial awareness with a clear focus on the consumer
• Degree educated or equivalent

About You

• Entrepreneurial, curious and creative - you see opportunity where others see risk
• A natural collaborator who can bring cross‑functional teams together and influence at senior level
• Someone who wants to build something, not just manage something
• Bonus paid twice a year of up to 9%
• £5,000 annual car allowance
• 25 days holiday increasing with length of service
• Group personal pension with 4% company contribution
• MediCash Health Insurance
• Quarterly staff samples, annual company BBQ and more

Please note; due to the location of our client's office you must be able to commute to the office by Car (3 days a week). Please note there is free parking on site.

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