A leading chilled food manufacturer in Staffordshire, UK — placed exclusively by Gregory Walker (Ref: MF/7684) — is seeking a proactive, innovative, and commercially aware Senior NPD Food Technologist to lead product development projects across branded and own-label ranges within the chilled food sector. With a minimum of 4 years’ NPD experience, a degree in Food Science or Food Technology, and strong expertise in chilled product development from concept through to successful factory launch, this is an outstanding career opportunity offering a salary of £35,000–£40,000 and an immediate start in one of the UK’s most active food manufacturing regions.
About This Role — Senior NPD Technologist in Staffordshire
Sector: Chilled food manufacturing — branded and own-label product development across short-shelf-life chilled food categories in a UK manufacturing environment
Role Level: Senior — leading NPD projects from initial concept through factory trials, customer presentations, and successful commercial launch
Reporting: Works closely with the Head of NPD and reports project progress — with leadership and continuity responsibilities across multiple concurrent NPD projects
Retail Scope: Understanding of branded and own-label development, retailer requirements, and customer approval processes is essential for this UK chilled food NPD role
Recruiter: Gregory Walker — specialist food and drink manufacturing recruitment agency. Contact Molly Finn on 0203 667 6612 or molly.finn@gregory-walker.co.uk quoting MF/7684
Why Staffordshire — A Senior NPD Career in the UK’s Food Manufacturing Heartland
UK Food Manufacturing Hub: Staffordshire and the Midlands region is home to a dense network of UK food manufacturers, chilled food producers, and FMCG businesses — providing exceptional career connectivity and professional networking for senior NPD food technologists
Salary Competitiveness: £35,000–£40,000 is a genuinely competitive salary range for senior NPD food technologist positions in the UK chilled food manufacturing sector in 2026
ASAP Start: The manufacturer is hiring with immediate start availability — making this an excellent opportunity for food technologists who are ready to move quickly into a senior NPD role
Career Scope: The broad scope of this role — concept to launch, branded and own-label, retail presentations, factory trials, trend research — creates an exceptionally well-rounded senior NPD career development opportunity
Position Overview
The Senior NPD Food Technologist in Staffordshire will lead the development of new and modified chilled food products — managing projects from initial concept ideation through factory trials, customer presentations, shelf-life analysis, industrial validation, and successful commercial launch across both branded and own-label ranges. Working closely with the Head of NPD, manufacturing operations, quality, commercial, and marketing teams, you will manage multiple concurrent projects, maintain critical paths, coordinate stakeholders, research emerging food trends, manage product costings, prepare technical documentation, and lead customer-facing presentations that bring innovative new food products successfully to the UK retail market.
Why This Senior NPD Technologist Role in Staffordshire Stands Out: You lead the complete NPD lifecycle — from concept ideation and trend research through factory trials, shelf-life analysis, industrial validation, customer presentations, and commercial launch — building an exceptionally comprehensive and career-defining food product development skill set, the combination of branded and own-label chilled food development across multiple simultaneous projects creates the kind of diverse, commercially grounded, and technically rigorous NPD experience that makes UK food technologists genuinely exceptional candidates across the entire FMCG market, customer-facing presentation responsibility — presenting concepts and samples directly to retail customers — builds the commercial confidence and client relationship skills that distinguish truly senior food technologists from technical-only counterparts, Gregory Walker’s specialist food recruitment reputation means candidates are supported throughout a fast, transparent, and professionally managed application process — as their candidate reviews confirm, and a salary of £35,000–£40,000 with an ASAP start reflects a genuine, active hiring need and employer commitment to competitive remuneration for the right senior NPD candidate.
Key Responsibilities
NPD Project Leadership — Concept to Launch
- Lead the development of new and modified chilled food products — taking projects from initial concept ideation through factory trials, technical validation, customer presentations, and successful commercial launch across branded and own-label ranges
- Manage multiple concurrent NPD and product modification projects — establishing detailed critical paths, coordinating all relevant stakeholders, and ensuring all projects are delivered to the required quality, cost, and time specifications
- Research emerging food trends, competitor activity, and new product opportunities — sharing insights with commercial, marketing, and NPD team members to continuously fuel the innovation pipeline
- Report project progress to the Head of NPD — providing clear, accurate, and timely project updates while providing leadership and continuity across all NPD projects as required
Factory Trials, Testing & Technical Validation
- Organise and attend factory trials — completing comprehensive validation documentation and communicating trial results, required actions, and technical outcomes clearly to all relevant teams
- Manage product sampling, shelf-life analysis, industrial validation, and all relevant product testing — ensuring every new product meets the required quality, safety, and commercial standards before launch
- Maintain accurate product costings and provide all relevant information to support technical documentation, product specifications, and manufacturing requirements throughout the development process
- Ensure compliance with all company and statutory Health & Safety requirements — following established procedures and contributing to risk assessments, incident investigations, and safety improvement initiatives
Customer Presentations, Launch Management & Retail Requirements
- Prepare and contribute to customer presentations — confidently presenting product concepts, samples, and development outcomes to retail customers in a knowledgeable, professional, and commercially persuasive manner
- Arrange pre-launch meetings and production activities — coordinating launch trackers and providing active hands-on support during the initial post-launch period to ensure smooth manufacturing handover
- Review product performance following commercial launch — gathering feedback from relevant departments, identifying improvement opportunities, and ensuring effective handover to manufacturing teams
- Support the development of sell-in presentations and provide detailed product knowledge to help meet retail customer requirements — applying understanding of branded and own-label retailer approval processes
Cross-Functional Collaboration & Trend Innovation
- Work closely with manufacturing operations, quality, technical, commercial, and marketing teams — coordinating all development activities to ensure seamless integration of NPD work into the broader business operation
- Research and identify emerging chilled food trends and competitive market activity — translating trend insights into practical new product ideas that support the company’s innovation strategy and market positioning
- Coordinate with operational and manufacturing teams during factory trials and launch activities — demonstrating strong manufacturing collaboration skills and an understanding of practical production constraints and requirements
- Build and maintain strong working relationships across all cross-functional teams — applying a positive, innovative, and collaborative approach that supports team cohesion and collective project delivery success
How to Apply — Gregory Walker
Contact Gregory Walker to Apply for Ref: MF/7684
Email Molly Finn
molly.finn@gregory-walker.co.uk
Ref: MF/7684
Call Molly Finn
0203 667 6612
Gregory Walker Recruitment
Qualifications & Requirements
Educational Requirements
- Ideally educated to degree level in Food Science, Food Technology, or a closely related food discipline — providing the technical foundation required for advanced chilled food product development
- Relevant professional development in NPD project management, food safety, or product specifications is a valued additional qualification for this senior role
Experience Requirements
- Minimum 4 years’ experience working within a food product development department — with demonstrated experience leading NPD projects from concept through to successful commercial launch
- Previous experience developing chilled or short-shelf-life food products — including hands-on shelf-life analysis, product sampling, and factory trial management is essential
- Understanding of branded and own-label product development, UK retailer requirements, and the customer approval processes that govern chilled food product launches
- Experience with product costings, industrial validation, product testing, and the preparation of relevant technical product documentation in a UK food manufacturing environment
About Gregory Walker — Specialist Food & Drink Recruitment
Gregory Walker is a specialist food and drink manufacturing recruitment agency on a mission to provide the most efficient, transparent, and enjoyable recruitment service in the UK food industry. With a track record of fast, effective placements and genuine candidate-first communication, Gregory Walker connects talented food professionals with the best opportunities in UK food manufacturing, NPD, and technical roles.
As their most recent candidate said: “Gregory Walker got in touch about a role on a Thursday and within 6 days everything was sorted, and I’d accepted the role. Easy to work with and great communication which is everything!” — a genuine reflection of the agency’s commitment to fast, professional, and candidate-supportive food recruitment.
To Apply: Contact Molly Finn directly at molly.finn@gregory-walker.co.uk or on 0203 667 6612 — quoting reference MF/7684. The role is available for an immediate ASAP start, so act now to avoid missing this excellent senior NPD opportunity in Staffordshire.
Who Should Apply?
- Senior Food Technologists with Chilled Food NPD Experience: With 4+ years of food product development experience — concept to launch across chilled or short-shelf-life categories in a UK food manufacturing environment
- Own-Label & Branded NPD Specialists: With experience developing both branded and own-label chilled food products — UK retailer requirements knowledge and customer approval process experience is essential
- Factory Trial & Shelf-Life Analysis Experts: With hands-on factory trial management, shelf-life analysis, industrial validation, and technical documentation experience in a UK chilled food manufacturing setting
- Customer-Facing Food Technologists: Confident presenting product concepts and samples directly to retail customers — with the commercial communication skills to represent NPD outcomes compellingly and professionally
- Degree-Educated Food Science Professionals: With Food Science or Food Technology degrees, 4+ years of NPD leadership experience, and a positive, innovative, and results-driven approach to food product development
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