Food Development Manager – Innovation (RTD/Functional Drinks/Drinks)
Location: Aylesford, Kent
Working setup: Mon-Fri, 8.30am-5pm, fully on-site
Pod Talent is thrilled to be partnering with a global and innovative food and drink manufacturer. With a passion for health, performance, and wellness, this company supports a wide variety of brands – from flavoured waters and energy drinks to alternative dairy and wellbeing beverages. It’s a fantastic time to join them as they scale their innovation team and work on some of the most exciting NPD projects in the market right now.
This is a brand-new role that sits at the heart of the R&D and commercial strategy. You’ll report directly to the Head of Innovation and work closely with cross-functional teams to develop products from concept to launch, while helping define the future of the innovation function.
This is a great opportunity for someone looking to step up in a more senior role – the team values energy, curiosity, and collaboration just as much as deep technical knowledge.
What you’ll be doing:
* Lead the end-to-end development of new beverage products, from concept creation to first production runs, in both internal facilities and with co-manufacturers.
* Work directly with clients to scope, cost, and design innovative beverage formulations across RTD and functional drinks.
* Ensure regulatory compliance, ingredient functionality, shelf-life valida...