Product Developer

Location: County Durham Full-Time | Food Manufacturing & Ingredients Sector | £35,000 - £45,000 DOE

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Product Developer to join a well-established and growing food ingredients business supplying innovative solutions to customers across manufacturing, foodservice and retail sectors in both the UK and international markets.

This role is ideal for a creative and commercially aware food professional who enjoys developing high-quality products, working closely with customers and suppliers, and bringing innovative concepts to life within a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

The Role

The successful candidate will be responsible for developing high-quality, practical and cost-effective liquid and powdered blended food products in response to customer briefs and business growth initiatives.

Working closely with Technical, Procurement, Operations, Sales and Marketing teams, they will ensure products meet customer expectations, legislative requirements and manufacturing capabilities whilst maintaining a strong focus on quality, food safety and innovation.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop innovative food formulations for customers within food manufacturing, foodservice and retail markets.
• Ensure all developments are delivered to agreed timescales, quality standards and cost parameters.
• Work collaboratively with Technical and Procurement teams to ensure formulations comply with customer, legislative and industry requirements.
• Support factory trials and scale-up activities to ensure products are fit for manufacture and can be produced efficiently and consistently.
• Create product samples and oversee sample production to assess formulation suitability.
• Provide comprehensive handovers to Specification, Process and Technical teams to support accurate documentation, labelling and product specifications.
• Engage with ingredient suppliers to identify new technologies, ingredients and market innovations.
• Support investigations relating to customer complaints, internal deviations and product or process changes.
• Contribute to product benchmarking, competitor analysis and market assessments.
• Work alongside Sales and Marketing teams to develop customer-focused solutions aligned with current and emerging market trends.
• Support customer meetings, presentations and product demonstrations where required.

About You

The ideal candidate will possess a strong technical background within the food industry combined with a passion for innovation and product development.

Requirements

• Degree in Food Technology or a related food science discipline is desirable.
• Minimum of 3 years' experience within a food manufacturing environment, ideally in Product Development, Process or Technical functions.
• Strong sensory evaluation and innovative product development skills.
• Customer and/or supplier-facing experience.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and facilitate change.
• High attention to detail and organisational skills.
• Computer literate.
• Self-motivated, able to work independently, and a strong team player.

What's on Offer?

• Opportunity to join a growing and innovative food business.
• Exposure to a diverse customer base across the food industry.
• Involvement in exciting NPD and innovation projects.
• Collaborative and supportive working environment.
• Opportunity to influence product development strategy and contribute to business growth.

If you are a passionate food professional with experience in product development and a desire to create innovative solutions for customers, we would be delighted to hear from you.