We are seeking a visionary food professional to join us as Head of Product Innovation. Innovation has been at the heart of our commercial success for the last 25 years and continues to be at the core of our strategy for growth.
Responsibilities
* Build and manage a forward-thinking innovation programme that delivers a robust pipeline of product and system innovation.
* Identify incremental and transformational opportunities that deliver genuine competitive advantage and commercial growth.
* Scout and apply emerging ingredients, products, technologies, and equipment that unlock new possibilities.
* Identify relevant trends and apply anthropological approaches to identify unmet needs and create whitespace opportunities.
* Collaborate across apetito and with external partners including academic, suppliers and startups to accelerate innovation.
* Validate concepts rapidly through agile "test and learn" approaches.
* Present compelling business cases to secure stakeholder buy‑in.
* Ensure the effective design, development and implementation of concepts and products.
* Lead and develop the Innovation Team, embedding a culture of creativity, experimentation, and continuous improvement.
* Support our Business Development team with concept development, testing and implementation, to deliver opportunities into new workstreams.
* Shaping strategy — translating insight, trends and ideas into clear product & system innovations.
* Driving delivery — overseeing development of compelling product and system solutions that bring significant value to our customers and business.
* Inspiring your team — leading and growing a high‑performing team to think boldly, act fast, and innovate with purpose.
Qualifications
* An accomplished food innovator with a proven track record of delivering commercially successful, high‑impact concepts.
* A natural team leader who energises, empowers, and brings others on the innovation journey.
* A big‑picture thinker with a Growth mindset, who can also roll up their sleeves and deliver.
* The ability to translate insights and ideas into meaningful growth opportunities.
* A passionate believer in the importance of food making a real difference.
* Commercially aware and tuned into the practicalities of scaling breakthrough ideas.
* Empathetic with the customers and markets apetito serves and our "making a real difference" mission.
* Degree level qualification, or equivalent experience.
About us
apetito is the UK's leading food supplier to the health and social care sectors serving more than 1,300 care homes, health care and education settings. Our meals are expertly crafted by our dieticians and chefs, and then frozen to lock in the goodness. Wiltshire Farm Foods, our sister company, is the UK's largest ready‑meal supplier cooking and delivering over 330 different delicious frozen ready meals across the UK.
Benefits
This is an exciting opportunity to build and deliver an industry‑leading innovations pipeline. You'll uncover unmet needs, explore cutting‑edge technologies, and bring new food and system concepts to life, from first spark to full‑scale launch.
* Competitive salary — accredited Living Wage employer.
* Company car.
* 25 days holiday per year, plus bank holidays.
* Option to purchase up to 5 additional days holiday per year.
* Discretionary annual bonus scheme.
* Pension scheme — employer matched contributions up to 4%.
* Life assurance scheme worth at least 1× annual salary.
* Subsidised canteen.
* Free parking.
* Free turkey or voucher at Christmas.
* Apetito perks scheme including salary sacrifice options and retail discounts.
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