Bakery NPD Manager (Field Based)

Working closely with our Account Management team, this role will identify new opportunities for our range of bread and cake confectionery products across Industrial plant and large craft bakery accounts. Taking ownership of product demonstrations, creation of briefs for customised products and subsequent trials with customers, to progress NPD samples to full sign off. The role will also work closely with the R&D teams in other Operating Companies (OpCo’s), who are the manufacturing source for bread and cake confectionery lines, to ensure ingredients and functionality meet the requirements for the UK market.

This role comes with car allowance and has a requirement to be in the Colchester office, approx 6-8 days per month.

• Demonstrate core and new Zeelandia bread and cake confectionery products in designated accounts (industrial bakers, large craft bakery chains), and support new recipe development

• Identify opportunities for volume driven, profitable new product development projects within designated accounts or new prospects and work with customers to write comprehensive briefs to submit to R&D technologists in manufacturing OpCo’s

• Provide technical advice for designated accounts, acting as a trouble shooter and dealing with questions about use of Zeelandia UK products 

• Understand process and product development challenges, along with timelines and listing windows for designated accounts and prepare briefs for any redevelopment of existing products to meet cost targets or enhance functionality

• Attend and support approved factory trials and first production runs at designated accounts

• Collaborate with UK sales account managers, customer services, marketing and quality team and with R&D teams in manufacturing OpCo’s, to ensure exceptional and timely technical service to all designated accounts

• Manage assigned customer relationships and report activities to the MRD and Sales Director and the designated sales account manager

• Prepare visit reports, weekly planners and project briefs in a timely, detailed and professional manner

• Monitor new technical and functionality trends in the UK bread and cake confectionery market and working with the MRD director prepare insight presentations with baked product samples to demonstrate to designated and prospect customers

• Support at customer and industry events as required by MRD Director

• Support at onsite Strategic and Key Account customer visits at Colchester or Wigan as required

• Regular travel to customer sites will be required as well as time at UK Zeelandia sites at Colchester (6-8 days per calendar month)

Skills and experience -

BTEC or BSC (Hons) in Bakery, Bakery Technology or Food Science is preferred; or the equivalent of this would be approx.15 years of experience in lieu of a recognised qualification

·       Extensive years of baking experience working with industrial manufacturers in the UK or European plant bread market is preferable

·       Good knowledge of bread ingredient functionality

·       Good problem-solving skills

·       Good project management skills

·       Proficient in the use of Microsoft IT systems