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Role Details
* Expected salary: £55,000 - £70,000
* Contract type: We have 3 permanent positions available
* Working pattern/flexible working: The Partnership has adopted a hybrid working approach, meaning you'll be able to work a mixture between the office and home based upon your personal needs whilst balancing the needs of the business. The Own Brand team aim for around 3 days a week in the office to connect and on a more ad-hoc basis to attend key meetings.
* Location: This role is based at our Bracknell Head Office, but will include travel to suppliers.
Key Responsibilities
1. Stay informed about customer strategy, insights, market trends, and consumer preferences in food, lifestyle, packaging, and ingredients to anticipate current and future customer needs.
2. Utilize insights and data to develop product proposition plans, ensuring quick market entry and commercial viability.
3. Understand and articulate tiering principles (good, better, best) aligned with Waitrose own brand strategy.
4. Leverage knowledge of NPD capabilities within the supply base to support quality and innovation, contributing to supplier strategy discussions for ambient drinks.
5. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure efficient delivery of NPD projects, following stage-gate development processes and meeting critical deadlines.
Essential Skills and Experience
1. Passion for products with an active interest in food and drinks market trends, applying knowledge to product development.
2. Experience in product development within manufacturing or retail, including launching major NPD/brand projects from start to finish.
3. Proven track record of developing high-quality, commercially successful products and managing suppliers.
4. Ability to analyze and interpret customer and market data.
5. Stakeholder management skills with the ability to present to all levels.
Desirable Skills and Experience
1. Further qualifications in food, grocery, or horticulture.
2. Buying experience and product technical expertise.
3. Project management skills.
Additional Information
We have an exciting opportunity to join our Waitrose Own Brand team as a Product Developer across various roles in fresh and ambient food categories. You will develop and deliver innovative, high-quality products aligned with our brand values, while understanding and managing the commercial aspects of development in the grocery environment. Building and maintaining strong NPD relationships with suppliers is a key part of this role.
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