Product Development Controller - Greencore : Job Details

The Opportunity: NPD Controller (12 months FTC)

Location: Northampton

Why Greencore?

We're a vibrant, fast-paced leading food manufacturer. Employing 13,300 colleagues across 16 manufacturing units and 17 distribution depots across the UK. We supply all the UK's food retailers with everything from Sandwiches, soups and sushi to cooking sauces, pickles and ready meals, and in FY24, we generated revenues of £1.8bn.

Our vast direct-to-store (DTS) distribution network, comprising of 17 depots nationwide, enables us to make over 10,500 daily deliveries of our own chilled and frozen produce and that of third parties.

We work hard to ensure that Greencore is a great place to work, and our people truly are at the core. We're committed to ensuring all our colleagues have development plans and strive to provide inspiring leadership - in fact, in the past year we've seen an 11% increase in the number of colleagues who would recommend Greencore as a place to work.

Join us and be part of our great team!

We are seeking an NPD Controller to join our fabulous M&S team in Northampton. This is a fantastic opportunity to take on a key leadership role in a fast-growing business. You'll have the chance to shape the future of our product offerings while building strong customer relationships.

Role Purpose

As the NPD Controller, you will lead the product development team, driving the customer category food strategy to ensure profitable growth for both Greencore and our clients. You will also play a pivotal role in fostering strong customer partnerships.

Key Responsibilities:

• Review all customer product development briefs to ensure they align with our food strategy, addressing any discrepancies as needed.
• Lead your team in developing market-relevant, commercially viable product and packaging concepts, ensuring high quality and sustainability.
• Engage with senior management stakeholders at each site to ensure strategic alignment across customer, category, and Greencore objectives.
• Be a champion of our `Great Food' principle, ensuring that food quality and innovation remain central to everything we do.
• Utilise food trends and insights to shape product concepts, working in collaboration with the marketing and portfolio teams.
• Set high standards for the Product Development team, ensuring excellence in food quality, customer communication, and operational processes.
• Take responsibility for margin delivery by overseeing accurate product costing from concept to implementation, ensuring target costs are met or exceeded.
• Provide strong leadership, ensuring your team is safe, engaged, and fully equipped to deliver outstanding results, with the right training and resources.
• Ensure full compliance with Product Development procedures and policies, guaranteeing that products are developed correctly from the outset.

What We're Looking For:

• Proven track record of delivering high-quality, sustainable commercial products.
• Strong leadership and people management skills, with the ability to plan workloads effectively and focus teams to meet objectives.
• In-depth knowledge of food and customer needs, along with the ability to engage and build strong relationships with clients.
• Passion for great food, with a deep understanding of current and emerging trends in the food industry.
• Excellent organisational skills to ensure smooth project execution and team alignment.

At Greencore, we are committed to creating a collaborative and supportive environment where our employees can thrive. If you are passionate about supply chain management and want to make a significant impact, we encourage you to apply f