Your new company Hays are delighted to be working closely with this exceptional manufacturing success story. One, that, over the last 15 years, has continued to go from strength to strength. This is a fantastic opportunity to join a dynamic and collaborative team, where you''ll play a key role in the day-to-day leadership of the NPD (New Product Development) department.Your new role Manage, mentor, and support the development of the NPD Team.Deputise for the Head of NPD as required, supporting leadership continuity across the department.Develop new recipes in collaboration with the Head of NPD, both internally and with flavour houses, in response to customer briefs.Translate market trends into commercially viable concepts, both for branded projects and proactive customer proposals.Adapt recipes to meet factory requirements and support the scale-up and optimisation of manufacturing processes.Manage multiple product development projects from concept through to launch, ensuring delivery on time, within budget, and to specification.Create and maintain detailed project timelines (critical paths) to drive accountability and transparency across departments.Coordinate and manage all product trials and first productions, ensuring successful handover to operations.Liaise effectively with internal teams, including operations, technical, supply chain, and commercial, throughout the development process.Lead and facilitate cross-functional meetings (e.g. Liquid Meetings) to align project ..... full job details .....