Baked Product Development Manager
5 days ago
Sunderland
Baked Product Development Manager Billingham (Home of McCoys, POM-BEAR, and more!) We operate a dynamic working model built on trust, choice and balance. Colleagues typically connect in person 3 days per week, as we know the best ideas and relationships grow when we collaborate side by side. We also offer Dynamic Friday Hours, giving colleagues the opportunity to flex their time and finish early on a Friday, where the role allows. Join our snack-loving team We’re looking for a Baked Product Development Manager to join us at KP Snacks. If you’re ready to bring your ideas to the table, grow your skills and be part of a team that values what makes you, you – this could be your next big move. About the role This role reflects our increased innovation focus on our baked snacks portfolio as part of KP Snacks’ long-term growth ambitions. You’ll bring specialist knowledge of baked goods/crackers/biscuits and lead the development and improvement of products from concept through to commercialisation. Alongside this technical focus, you’ll play a key role within our UK R&D leadership team, to further enhance our R&D tools and processes, driving technical excellence with technical agility. Reporting directly into our Head of R&D, you'll partner with cross-functional teams across KP and the wider Intersnack Group, including marketing and consumer insights, supply chain, procurement and suppliers/academia, whilst ultimately be a critical member of our One R&D Intersnack Community. This is an ideal opportunity for someone with solid R&D experience within a reputable FMCG organisation, with passion and knowledge in baked categories, with a genuine desire to help develop and influence our wider R&D capability. What’s in it for you? We believe in rewarding our colleagues and helping them thrive. Here’s a flavour of what we offer: * Annual bonus scheme, with a strong track record of overachievement * £6000 car cash allowance * Comprehensive healthcare support – including Medicash Health Cash Plan or Private Healthcare, Digital GP, Best Doctors second opinion service and specialist cancer care * KP Pension Plan – contribution matching up to 7% of your salary * 25 days holiday, plus the option to buy more * KP4ME – our online platform for benefits, discounts, wellbeing tools and more What will you be doing? * Lead the development of baked snacks projects You'll be responsible for developing and commercialising new baked snacks across our UK brands. This will include recipe formulation, benchtop development, scale-up planning, and overseeing trials at factory level, ensuring every product meets our quality, safety, and brand standards. * Deliver projects with technical excellence and agility You’ll design and lead robust experimental plans, from bench to scale with strong focus on data-led decision-making, and help embed R&D best practice via enhanced tools and processes. You’ll ensure product designs are factory-ready and transitioned smoothly into production using our P2M and MoPD stage gate processes. * Collaborate across KP and the wider Intersnack network Partner closely with colleagues in manufacturing, marketing, procurement, and our Intersnack flavour team, you’ll ensure projects are technically sound and commercially viable. You’ll also be an active contributor to the Baked Community of Practice, sharing insights and championing technical innovation. * Develop yourself and others As a member of the UK R&D Leadership team, your contributions will influence the overall UK R&D agenda, and you will be one of our champions to nurture R&D talent across our organisation. Who are we? We’re KP Snacks, part of the Intersnack family. Across more than 30 countries, over 15,000 of us work together to make the snacks people love – from Hula Hoops to McCoy’s. In the UK, we’re a team of around 2,400 colleagues, based across seven sites and our Slough HQ. We’re proud of our close-knit culture, where we speak up, celebrate differences and push boundaries together. We’re committed to inclusion We’re building a workplace where everyone belongs. If you don’t tick every box, we’d still love to hear from you – your unique perspective could be just what we need. And if there’s anything we can do to make the process easier for you, just let us know. We’d love to hear from you if you can bring: Use up to five bullet points to highlight the essential criteria. Keep the language inclusive, positive and plain. * FMCG Baked expertise: Several years experience in developing baked goods (e.g. crackers, biscuits) with a strong understanding of ingredients, processes, and functionality. * STEM qualification: A degree in Food Science, Chemistry, Engineering, or another STEM discipline; relevant certifications or project management training are a plus. * Strong technical skills: Confident designing and running experiments, analysing data, and writing reports to support R&D decision-making. * Project delivery in FMCG: Proven track record of managing and delivering a portfolio of projects and programs within a fast-paced environment. * Leadership/collaborative mindset: Natural affinity to lead, engage, and coach others, sharing best practice, and contributing to a positive, continuous improvement culture. #LI-SC1 #LI-Hybrid
