Overview of Role
We’re looking for a bold and creative NPD Manager to lead the development of delicious, healthy cereals for our iconic Jordans and Dorset brands. This role is central to delivering our global NPD and innovation strategy, combining consumer insight, ingredient trends, and technical excellence to bring winning products to market.
Location
Cambridge, England, United Kingdom.
Our Vision
We will pioneer a new era of cereal where our brands bring great taste and better nutrition, in the bowl and beyond. We are relentless in delighting consumers, which drives our commercial success.
Our Mission Principles
* Champion the global growth of our core cereals portfolio by putting consumers at the heart of everything we do, delivering with precision, passion, and excellence.
* Ignite our future innovation, building from our core strengths and boldly exploring new opportunities to shape the next generation of global offerings.
* Lead the way in health forward living leveraging ingredient expertise and lifestyle insights to meet evolving consumer needs and drive meaningful impact.
Key Responsibilities
* Lead the global delivery of our core and future NPD/EPD pipelines for cereals and snacks, driving innovation that resonates with consumers worldwide.
* Drive the end‑to‑end project journey from concept to launch using stage and gate methodology to ensure timely execution and strategic alignment.
* Champion ingredient innovation and trend exploration, transforming insights into breakthrough products that win with consumers.
* Partner with suppliers to unlock new ingredients and enabling technologies that elevate our product offerings.
* Cultivate a culture of insight‑led innovation and continuous improvement through consumer‑led sensory and product research.
* Support and mentor Product Development Technologists, empowering the next generation of technical excellence.
* Contribute to the broader R&D vision and priorities.
* Promote a quality‑first mindset, embedding best practices and excellence across every stage of development.
What You’ll Bring
* Proven track record in food product development, ideally within the cereals or snacks category, bringing ideas to life that delight consumers globally.
* Strong project management capabilities with hands‑on experience in stage and gate processes, driving projects from concept to shelf with precision.
* Genuine passion for food trends, health, and sustainability, translating market shifts into meaningful innovation.
* Skilled in cross‑functional collaboration and stakeholder influence, building momentum and alignment across teams.
* A proactive, collaborative mindset that lives our values: Be bold. Be creative. Do the right thing together. Make it happen.
Key Accountabilities
* Deliver gated product pipelines across global markets, aligned with both short‑term goals and long‑range business strategy.
* Lead the development of new and improved cereals that fuel brand growth and elevate consumer satisfaction.
* Partner with the Product Development Controller and R&D Director to shape and execute a bold 5‑year innovation strategy.
* Explore global ingredient trends to craft products that strike the perfect balance between taste, health, and consumer delight.
* Stay ahead of the curve by tapping into diverse sources of consumer insights, food trends, emerging technologies, and competitor activity.
* Maintain a dynamic and future‑fit innovation funnel that fuels continuous growth.
* Ensure timely, transparent communication to enable fast, informed decision‑making across teams.
* Champion technical excellence to deliver high‑quality product launches that meet and exceed expectations.
* Bring concepts to life through hands‑on kitchen and small‑scale development work.
* Collaborate closely with Process Development to ensure seamless, successful product implementation.
* Support Procurement in sourcing sustainable, cost‑effective, and high‑quality ingredients that align with our values.
* Safeguard brand integrity by acting as a guardian of product quality, design, nutrition, and health credentials.
The Right Person
* Degree level food related qualification.
* At least 4 years’ experience in product development in FMCG environment.
* Experience of delivering NPD pipelines.
Benefits & Compensation
* Competitive salary.
* Bonus Scheme (up to 10%).
* Pension Scheme – up to 10% employer contributions.
* Hybrid & Flexible work culture.
* Buy holiday scheme.
* Discounted products.
* Health Cash Plan.
* Career opportunities – ABF group employs 128,000 employees worldwide.
* Discounts on over 900 retailers on our discount platform.
* Group Cycle to work scheme.
* Free Parking.
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