We have an exciting opportunity to join the Pilgrims Europe Product & Innovation team as a Product Development Manager based at our Attleborough site on a 3‑month Fixed Term Contract.
This role will work closely with the New Product Development and New Product Introduction teams to nurture a food culture in the business and help the company become a world‑class food company. You will collaborate with site and customer teams in all aspects of bringing new products to market – from the initial concept right through to product launch.
The successful candidate will drive the management of projects and critical paths that lead to successful product launches, underpinned by consumer and commercial insight.
Key Responsibilities
* Work closely with the Head of Product & Process, Development Chefs, Site & Customer Teams to determine customer‑oriented and commercially viable NPD activity in response to customer briefs and innovation.
* Organise innovation sessions internally and with customers, collaborating with the category team to maintain a customer and market focus on all NPD.
* Ensure that the Pilgrims’ Europe Concept to Launch Gate process is adhered to through all stages, taking ownership and driving products with the NPD, NPI & NWT teams.
* Generate a weekly NPD work plan managing team workload and holidays.
* Complete regular one‑to‑one meetings with direct reports to align goals with business and site strategy.
* Lead and coach direct reports to maximise their potential and support high performance.
* Collaborate with the NWT to create customer roadmaps aligned to trends and site capability.
* Use the Innovation Platforms to communicate forward‑looking plans that give the business visibility and confidence that opportunities are being maximised.
* Deliver against budgets set by the business and contribute to customer E2E and DTV projects.
* Support customer‑facing teams for all enquiries concerning the products you are working on, keeping them informed of outcomes and ensuring their needs are met.
Skills and Knowledge
* Food‑related degree and/or a minimum of 5 years of Product Development experience in the food industry.
* Product costing and P74 recipe professor experience.
* Experience running factory trials.
* Experience working within a structured development environment using a stage‑gate process.
* Ability to lead and manage a team, in addition to managing their own portfolio of development projects.
* Strong project management skills.
* IT proficiency – Excel, Word, PowerPoint.
* Ingredient knowledge and food passion.
* Previous experience in the food industry.
* Must have a full clean driving license.
Benefits
* Competitive salary.
* Generous holiday entitlement plus the option to buy additional days.
* Autonomy in how you deliver results.
* Comprehensive wellbeing support and employee assistance programmes.
* Professional development opportunities with access to leadership training and mentoring.
* Employee discounts and access to a range of benefits through our rewards platform.
* A values‑driven culture built on trust, teamwork, and respect.
Values
* Availability – We’re open and ready for new challenges.
* Humility – We listen, respect, and value every voice.
* Discipline – We deliver on our commitments.
* Sincerity – We are honest and authentic in every interaction.
* Simplicity, Ownership, and Determination – We focus on what matters most to achieve success together.
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