Product Development Manager

We have a fantastic opportunity to join the Product Development team at Greggs as Product Development Manager to help shape the future of Greggs products and manage the quality on a 12-month secondment.

We can offer you:

• Management Bonus Scheme which is worth up to 12.5% of your salary
• Pension scheme with matching employer contributions up to 7%
• Colleague discount, up to 50% off our own-produced products
• Profit share - We want everyone to share in the success of the business, so we distribute 10% of our profits to all our colleagues who have at least 6-month service, or more, each year
• 25 days (5 weeks) annual leave, pro-rated, increasing with service (in addition to bank holidays), plus 1 additional floating day
• The opportunity to purchase additional annual leave twice a year
• Colleague share plans, giving you the opportunity to save and invest in Greggs, with the chance to buy Greggs shares at a discounted rate
• Private Medical Insurance which is free for you and subsided for your dependants
• Income Protection should you become unable to work due to long-term sickness
• Death in service benefit which provides a lump-sum payment equal to 4 times your year's salary
• Virtual GP, Physiotherapy and Lifestyle Consultations - we provide access to a fantastic total wellbeing app for you and your family
• Employee Assistance Programme - we provide all colleagues with access to an EAP helpline providing mental health support as well as financial and legal support
• Savings and discounts, including digital gift card discounts, online cashback, in-store and online coupons and lifestyle offers
• Career progression and learning and development opportunities
• A company who cares about our communities; the environment and being a better business! Click here to read about The Greggs Pledge
• Colleague Networks - internal groups where colleagues and their allies can share their own experiences, offer feedback on the way we do things at Greggs, and provide support to one another

About the role

• Management Grade B
• This is a full-time, fixed term 12 month contract role however flexibility in this will be considered
• We know that having a work-life balance is important, so we offer our colleagues as much flexibility as possible in line with the needs of their role
• The base location for this role is Balliol Industrial Park, Newcastle Upon Tyne

What you'll do

• Collaborate with commercial category team to develop short, medium and long term category plans based on knowledge of global food trends, competitor insights, and market data. Brief, develop and approve great tasting products of consistent quality which meet Greggs PLM process in line with the front-page business plan and to meet costs and quality expectations
• Create fantastic new products in our kitchens using your creative skills, and work with suppliers for new products and developing new ingredients
• Ensure new and redeveloped products are Greggs Brand compliant, meet nutritional requirements and policies and additive policies (including clean label). Support delivery of responsible sourcing policies to deliver health and sustainable menu and pledge commitments
• Contribute to updating Greggs policies in line with our competitors, tracking and reporting progress of pledge commitments
• Establish and maintain external sensory panelling process, managing and monitoring the progress and budget, in addition to maintaining a relationship with agreed partner
• Define, protect and continuously improve product quality and processes through routine quality monitoring, setting of QAS, sensory panelling and customer contact tracking and review through working with supply chain, retail and suppliers
• Support operational efficiency and improvements, and ensure this is embedded into the PLM product development process, within both internal and external manufacturing and at retail shop level
• Work effectively and collaboratively across multiple functions, within head office and across the business and with external stakeholders, suppliers and customers taking a leadership role where required
• Support other business projects and working groups to continually grow and improve the Greggs business and ways of working
• Lead direct report providing guidance, training and support in leadership behaviours, ways of working and to deliver objectives

About you

You will fit right into this role if you:

• Have experience working as a product development manager in a fast paced environment within the food industry with experience in bakery and / or fresh product categories
• Are creative and passionate about food and Greggs, and have creative food skills, highly developed sensory & organoleptic skills and a great palate. This is a hands on role so experience working in a product development kitchen is essential
• Have experience and a solid understanding of building product nutrition and costings, with a good understanding of commercial information
• Have excellent organisational skills with strong attention to detail
• Have influential and strong interpersonal skills – with the ability to work cross functionally and collaboratively and are a confident communicator and have strong presentation skills
• Have experience in managing product development projects to defined critical paths and strong project and time management skills and the ability to juggle and prioritise multiple projects
• Have advanced IT skills including Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Teams
• Are self-motivated with the ability to work under pressure and using own initiative
• Enjoy being part of a hard-working team, sharing the same end goal, and celebrating results together
• Are supportive of an inclusive culture – recognising and valuing that difference is good
• Want to develop and are ready to work alongside some great people and have lots of fun on your Greggs journey!

About Greggs

Here at Greggs, we love what we do, and we have fun! What makes Greggs so special is our culture – the way we are, the way we behave and the way we support each other. We're hard-working, but above all else we're family; and it doesn't matter who you are, where you're from or what your favourite bake is, we’d love you to join us! We want everyone to feel welcome at Greggs and our colleagues to be able to be themselves at work, whatever their background, preferences, or views.