NPD Manager

The Company

Nigel Wright are proud to be working with Froneri to recruit an NPD Manager for a period of maternity leave. Are you an NPD Manager who loves ice cream?

Froneri developed a truly unique business model based on a culture of excellence, with a passion for ice cream. Froneri today is an agile organization, with simple and efficient processes, and a great cadre of people who are encouraged to drive growth in a profitable manner. Their people are proud to be part of Froneri’s success story.

Froneri’s vision is to Build the World’s Best Ice Cream Company. They will grow organically, ahead of the sector, and drive profitability and cash generation to become best-in-class. Acquisitions will remain an important growth driver in the coming years and will enhance their scale and deliver synergies.

The Role

This is an excellent opportunity to gain experience with a global food company. Commercially focused and experienced in customer relations, you will be a key player in shaping business growth to ensure the company stays ahead of the competition. 

Having responsibility for the development team direction with close liaison with other sites within the group, you will drive products through from concept to full scale production constantly reviewing our product portfolio and taking overall responsibility for formulating new creative recipes in order to meet commercial, technical and customer briefs.

Role responsibilities include:
o    The generation of ideas and assessment of feasibility for production of new concepts. 
o    To ensure that the NPD process is adhered to by all members of team. 
o    To formulate and implement departmental and customer specific NPD strategies in accordance with the Business Strategy.
o    To set up and monitor tasting sessions of new products under development and competitors products.
o    Arrange as required, internal sampling of new products amongst cross-section of employees.
o    To organise and liaise with all relevant parties to provide and present product samples of a suitable standard for photographic representation, customer evaluation laboratory analysis, and customer visits.
o    To ensure that accurate information regarding final product recipes, manufacturing processes are transferred in a timely manner to operations and technical.
o    To have constant liaison with all relevant Departmental Managers concerning the development and production of a new product.
o    To organise and supervise production trials and the critical production runs of a launch, ensuring that all-critical data is captured.
o    To continually assess current products, to recommend and redevelop where necessary to ensure they reflect current market requirements. To react to any problems relating to existing products raised internally or externally.

You will also have input into process development to ensure critical path, launch programmes and deadlines are met. This is a customer facing role, requiring an eye for innovations and excellent customer liaison and presentation skills.

Requirements

With a degree in a related discipline, you should possess product management experience, within a food manufacturing environment having worked with at least one of the three major retail multiples. Possessing good coaching and management skills, you will demonstrate a point of difference in order to exemplify true added value to our business and our customers.