NPD Manager (Fixed Term Contract)
Competitive Salary
12 month fixed term contract
BBF Limited
Blackburn
We have an exciting opportunity for the right person to join our passionate and dedicated development team on a 12-month fixed-term contract. This customer-facing role involves leading a key retailer account, managing a small team, and travelling as required.
Food manufacturing or retailer experience is essential for this role. If you're passionate about product development, love eating cake, and are looking for the opportunity to be part of a large and dynamic development team, we'd love to hear from you.
The role of NPD Manager for BBF
- Lead and own the end-to-end delivery of NPD projects, from test bakery and concept development through to full-scale factory trials, scale-up and successful launch across the group portfolio.
- Provide clear technical and commercial direction on new raw materials, recipe development and factory trials, working closely with Operations, Process and Site Technical teams.
- Drive the development of commercially viable and operationally achievable products that meet customer briefs, retailer standards, quality expectations and site capability.
- Own project critical paths, proactively managing risks, escalations, decision points and stakeholder alignment to ensure delivery on time and in full.
- Ensure all projects are delivered through the PLM process with strong governance, clear controls, compliant documentation and effective launch readiness.
- Act as an NPD subject matter expert, applying sound judgement and product development expertise to guide projects from brief to launch to a consistently high standard.
- Build, influence and maintain effective cross-functional relationships, ensuring alignment, pace and clear communication across key departments.
- Line manage at least one direct report, setting direction, delegating effectively, supporting development and ensuring workload priorities are clearly understood and delivered.
- Lead day-to-day engagement with key strategic customers, taking ownership of communication, expectations and issue resolution.
- Represent the business with credibility and professionalism during customer submissions, site visits and meetings, including travel to BBF sites and customer head offices as required.
Knowledge, Skills & Experience
- Minimum of five years’ experience within an FMCG environment, ideally with responsibility for managing complex NPD projects.
- Educated to degree level, or able to demonstrate equivalent professional experience.
- Food-related qualification or relevant food industry experience is desirable.
- Proven track record of leading product development activity from brief through to launch within a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
- Recent experience of managing, coaching and developing individuals or teams, with the ability to set direction and drive delivery.
- Full driving licence required, as regular travel forms part of the role.
- A highly motivated and commercially aware individual with strong leadership, coaching and team-building capability, demonstrating pace, ownership, sound judgement and effective ways of working.
- Able to operate effectively in a fast-paced and pressurised environment, balancing competing priorities, making informed decisions and maintaining momentum to deliver results on time and in full.
- Works collaboratively and with initiative, influencing across functions, coaching and mentoring others, and role-modelling the BBF ways of working.
Who are BBF Limited?
BBF Limited are one of the UK’s leading ambient cake and chilled dessert manufacturers of retailer own label, licensed and branded cakes, supplying recognisable major retailers across the UK and European market.
Our team of experts develop and manufacture a wide range of high-quality ambient cake products across several different categories including celebration cakes, mini rolls, mince pies, fruit pies and a wide range of chilled desserts including cheesecake, crumbles and sponge cakes. These include mince pies, celebration cakes, slab cakes, cupcakes and many more!
We are passionate about our products and aim to put the customer at the heart of everything we do.
With recent investment and acquisitions taking us to nearly 1,400 direct employees, this is an exciting time to join BBF Limited! We are continually looking to grow, but we can only do that with exceptional talent across all levels and disciplines of the business. That is where you come into it!
On top of making some delicious cakes and desserts, we do a lot of fun stuff too! Whether that be Christmas fun days, pancake-flipping competitions, Red Nose Day events or odd-sock days, you’ll be coming to work smiling.
What benefits do we offer?
Financial
- Competitive Salary
- 4x Life Assurance/Death in Service Benefit
Health & Wellbeing
- 25 days holiday per annum (plus statutory holidays)
- 24/7 Access to a GP
- 24/7 Bereavement Support
Personal & Professional Development
- Dedicated in-house Learning & Development/Training team
- Online training platform with access to 100+ training courses
A few other bits
- Quarterly and Yearly BBF Star Awards – recognising those who have gone above and beyond!
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