New Product Development Technologist (Food Manufacturing)

Full Job Description

Doves Farm Foods Ltd is a successful, award-winning, family-owned food business, specialising in artisan, organic and free from flours and foods. It operates a portfolio of loved brands including Doves Farm, FREEE and Wessex Mill.
Job Purpose
To lead a range of product development and product change projects determined by the NPD team. The focus for this is primarily bakery products, including a gluten free range of bakery mixes, oat bars and breakfast cereals. There will also be some development of the range of gluten free and organic flours. Projects will be managed from concept to launch to meet the set timelines.
General Responsibilities & Duties
* Administration of the stage-gate process for all projects to ensure progress hurdles and deadlines are met for each development stage
* Working closely with individual teams, eg production, sales, to progress projects and report on progress in the NPD / PCM meetings
* Maintenance of a clear record of recipe progression, kitchen trials, and evaluations of development projects, including plans for ‘next steps’.
* Plan and conduct kitchen trials for NPD projects followed by taste panels and evaluations.
* Creation of critical paths and determination of realistic timelines.
* Creation and circulation of product development briefs in conjunction with teams to relevant stakeholders
* Oversee and manage development projects from concept to launch of products in collaboration with project owners
* Minute taking and distribution of NPD and PCM minutes.
* Maintenance and circulation of Yellow Project Folders containing a collation of all necessary paperwork related to the project.
* Compilation of the bill of materials for new products.
* Organisation and scheduling of taste panels including monthly shelf life panels.
* Benchmarking of development projects against competitor products in the market place.
* Test bakes for on pack recipes to determine on pack methodology, verify accuracy and to check quality of products.
* Preparation of detailed visual quality standards for all new products – prepared in collaboration with sampling team.
* Writing customer specific specifications/queries for new products.
* Management of retailer specific specifications and maintenance of the customer portals
* Preparation of quality contracts and discussion with retailer technologists for review and maintenance
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EDUCATION
Essential
*
Sound educational background
Desirable
Degree standard education
EXPERIENCE
*
Essential
*
Knowledge of factory production processes
*
Desirable
Experience of food and baking
Knowledge of gluten free
Knowledge of technical processes
Experience in food product development
Knowledge of food labelling legislation
SKILLS
Essential
*
Good at problem solving
Excellent communicator verbal and written
Project management skills
Ability to influence and collaborate
Ability to adapt to fluid and changing priorities
Desirable
*
Ability to adjust pace to suit job demands
Knowledge of customer technical portals
PERSONALITY
Well organised
Team player
Can do attitude
Creative
Questioning but open minded on viewpoints