Product Developer Food and Drinks Sector

Product Developer - Food and Drink Sevenoaks, Kent Are you a passionate foodie who thrives on developing products for retail customers and bringing ideas to life on the shelf? We are proud to be partnering with a well-established food manufacturer to recruit a talented Product Developer to join their retailer-facing New Product Development team. This is a hands-on, customer-facing role where you will take full ownership of food product development projects — working directly with retailers and clients from concept through to successful launch. The Role: You will work closely with retail customers, delivering innovative, commercially successful food products: • Lead new product development from customer brief to factory launch for retail customers • Act as a key point of contact for retailers, managing development projects and enquiries • Develop, taste, and refine products in line with customer expectations, trends, and briefs • Present product concepts and samples directly to customers (on-site and face-to-face) • Manage NPD critical paths, ensuring on-time, in-budget launches • Ensure compliance with retailer specifications, food safety standards, and labelling requirements • Manage artwork approval, packaging development, and retailer sign-off processes • Work closely with suppliers to source and approve raw materials aligned to retailer standards • Coordinate samples for submissions, customer meetings, and product approvals • Collaborate with internal teams including production, technical, quality, and supply chain About You: • Experience in food manufacturing, product development, or NPD • Experience working with retailers, supermarkets, or foodservice customers • Strong understanding of retailer specifications, food labelling, and compliance • Background as a Product Developer, NPD Technologist, or Food Technologist • Degree in Food Science / Food Technology (or equivalent experience) preferred • Passion for food trends, innovation, and retail product development • Confident presenting to customers and managing stakeholder relationships • Project management skills with experience managing critical paths • Commercially aware with the ability to balance cost, quality, and customer expectations • Highly organised with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines You may not tick all these boxes but if you feel you could have experience relevant to this role, please get in contact! Benefits: • Work on exciting retailer-led product innovation projects • Customer-facing role with real ownership and visibility • Opportunity to build and develop strong retailer relationships • Supportive and collaborative team environment • Excellent long-term career progression • Beautiful work place in a stunning location • Superb benefits package Apply today or contact us to find out more!