A well-established global food manufacturing company based in Melbourne’s northern suburbs, known for its commitment to quality, innovation, and excellence. They are seeking an experienced and hands-on NPD Lead to take ownership of new product development projects across a wide food category. This newly created role offers an exciting opportunity to shape new product launches, lead a talented technical team, and contribute to the ongoing success of a respected food manufacturer.
About the Role
In this role, you will lead all aspects of food product development from managing the product brief through to scale-up and market launch. You will be responsible for overseeing technical documentation, ensuring regulatory and quality compliance, and maintaining strong communication across internal project teams. This role involves scaling up products from bench to production while maintaining consistency and quality, mentoring and supporting Food team members, and guiding their project progress. You will organise and participate in internal tastings and customer workshops, conduct market research, and collaborate with key stakeholders to source new ingredients.
Additionally, you will manage laboratory operations, including raw material stock and hygiene standards, lead customer capability and innovation presentations, and ensure compliance with food safety, HACCP, quality, and environmental standards. The position also provides technical support to both internal teams and external customers, including interstate collaboration, while fostering a culture of creativity, efficiency, and continuous improvement.
Skills & Experience
- Degree-qualified in Food Science, Food Technology, or related discipline.
- Proven experience in food product development, ideally within a manufacturing environment
- Strong project management skills and attention to detail.
- Confident communicator with the ability to collaborate across departments.
- Passionate about innovation and continuous improvement in food technology.
To apply online, please click on the apply function. Alternatively, for a confidential discussion, please contact Emily Gough on egough@sharpandcarter.com.au.
