Senior NPD Technologist

Annual Salary: circa £35k (negotiable) + performance bonuses

Other benefits: 28 days holiday per annum, free site parking, and pension Working routine: Full time Monday to Friday; 37.5 hours/week, nominally 9:00am - 17:00pm on site

Site Location: Shepton Mallet, Somerset, BA4 6QN

We are in search of an adept and self-confident customer-facing Senior New Product Development (NPD) Technologist to join our team at the Food Buzz Innovation and Research & Development Centre. As an integral member of our team of food scientists, your primary focus will be on multifaceted beverage projects, ensuring effective project management and adherence to timelines. In this role, your responsibilities encompass not only the meticulous execution of multiple projects, so ability to multi-task is a given, but also the generation of innovative concepts rooted in current market trends. Leveraging market data research, you will actively contribute to customer new product briefs, showcasing a good understanding of practical flavour science, stabilizer/emulsifier technology, and general knowledge of labelling legislation.

Your role within the company:

• To manage key customers accounts confidently and independently for NPD and EPD projects from concept to launch for multiple workstreams.
• Create and develop innovative recipes, capitalising on new key trends for both NPD and EPD projects.
• Recipe creation and maintaining all documentation throughout project life cycle recipe & nutritional sheets, costings, legal labels, submission forms, processing details.
• Undertake all tasks associated with product development sample preparation, customer presentation, organoleptic testing, chemical testing, micro review.
• Responsible for sourcing new ingredients fit for application and based on commercial feasibility (MOQ, lead time, price)
• Responsible for ensuring lab samples are sent on time.
• Lead and attend tasting panels for projects including benchmarking sessions.
• Attend and lead customer development/innovation days as required.
• Direct communication with key customers, both face to face and written.
• Work to deadlines in a dynamic work environment ensuring that all key milestones for projects are met.
• Work closely with process technologist to organise pilot trials, ensure all raw materials are ordered in advance and provide support at pilot stage.
• Support 1st production at co-packing sites as required.

Key performance indicators:

• Manages own accounts, targets, and timescales.
• Complete projects on time.
• Maintains projects documentation.
• Achieves positive relations with customers.
• Supports others in the team to achieve shared objectives.
• Engaging customers through innovative concepts based on current market trends and future opportunities.
• Performance bonuses subject to achieving agreed KPI sales targets
• Health & Safety compliance:
• Reporting of accidents and near-misses
• Safe use of laboratory equipment and compliance with company's safe working instruction.

Experience, Skills & Knowledge:

Minimum 3 years of practical hands-on NPD experience, with ability to demonstrate working within a customer facing NPD technologist role in the food industry is essential, ideally with beverage application knowledge.

Knowledge and some experience of beverage ingredients, stabilising systems, and their functionality.

Excellent organisation and coordinating skills with the ability to perform well under pressure and able to satisfy a multiple customer base.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Confident, articulate, and courteous communicator both verbal and written.

Proficient user in all aspects of Microsoft Office, especially spreadsheets

Accuracy, attention to detail and numerate approach to provide information on time in the right format.

Competent, adaptable and works on their own initiative.

Undertakes tasks with enthusiasm and takes pride in their work.

Innovation and creativity with an eye on current and future trends.

Good interpersonal skills.

Problem solving skills.

Minimum of degree level in a relevant scientific subject.

Understanding of Basic HACCP Principles; qualified (Level 3 minimum)

Knowledge of relevant ingredient legislation, especially labelling

UK full driving licence and own transport to get to site required

About our business: We are a growing, innovative, and agile research and development focused facility located in the heart of Somerset. We work with small and big brands alike and take pride in creating award winning beverages for our clients. Our USP is having a wide range of pilot scale beverage equipment able to replicate factory processing and we can produce all types of liquid and powder product samples. Every day is different, and we are a friendly and fun-loving team so we promise you will never be bored!