Key skills
RCommunication
About this role
Role Overview
- Lead the end to end development of new confectionery products, raw materials and processes.
- Ensure right‑first‑time delivery to agreed critical paths.
- Strengthen strategic customer partnerships and drive innovation.
- Ensure scientific and technical excellence across pilot plant and factory environments.
- Act as primary technical contact for customer developers, nurturing relationships.
- Prepare and deliver trial review presentations, manage pre-productions, and attend launch visits.
- Build subject‑matter expertise in sweets technology and trends.
- Engage suppliers to identify product, ingredient, and technology opportunities.
- Maintain accurate, auditable project documentation and trackers.
- Provide clear, consistent project updates to all stakeholders.
- Deputise for the Head of R&D – Sweets when required.
- Line‑manage, coach and develop R&D Technologists/Technicians.
- Drive continuous improvement of procedures, documentation, and ways of working.
Requirements
- Strong passion for food and innovation.
- Clear and confident communication skills (written, verbal and presentations).
- Ability to collaborate effectively across all organisational levels.
- High attention to detail, strong organisation and forward‑thinking mindset.
- Commercially aware and comfortable with data and numbers.
- Demonstrates agility, resilience and capacity to create and embrace change.
- Experience in food manufacturing, ideally NPD or R&D.
- Understanding of food process technologies.
- Experience engaging cross‑functionally and with external stakeholders.
- Competent in MS Office: Excel, Word, PowerPoint.
- Full UK clean driving license.
Benefits
- Matched pension scheme
- Death in service
- Cycle to work scheme
- Canteen
- Retailer discount platform
- Staff discount
- And plenty more!