Job Title: Research and Development Manager
Salary: Competitive + Benefits and Company Incentives
Location: Warrington

Purpose of the Role

Henderson Brown is proud to partner with a long-standing client in their search for a Research and Development Manager, set to join the team in 2025.

Our client is a leading supplier of chilled and frozen own-label and branded food products to the UK retail and foodservice sectors.

This role requires a creative and innovative individual with a passion for researching and developing products that significantly enhance the existing range. You will analyse current industry trends, create new products tailored to UK consumers and retailers, and manage these innovations through all stages of the development process. Additionally, you’ll represent the company and its portfolio at international trade shows and events.

Key Responsibilities

Product Development: Research and develop high-quality concepts from initial idea to launch, proactively identifying new market opportunities to drive core business growth.
Innovation and Creativity: Bring fresh ideas and inspire others by leveraging food industry trends and consumer insights. Act as a champion for product quality, competitiveness, and innovation.
Stakeholder Collaboration: Work closely with internal teams and external stakeholders to gather data for product costing in line with NPD briefs provided by retail buyers.
Customer Engagement: Lead commercial presentations of product proposals and development points.
Competitor Benchmarking: Develop "blue sky" concepts to stay ahead of competitors, guided by category management principles.
Quality Standards: Establish and uphold quality standards, ensuring factory teams prioritise product excellence in appearance, taste, and overall quality.
Continuous Improvement: Conduct regular taste panels to assess internal quality and benchmark against competitors, driving improvements and setting new standards of excellence.
Market Representation: Represent the company at trade shows and other industry events, showcasing the portfolio and fostering new opportunities.

Key Experience

Proven experience in food retail, particularly in a customer-facing capacity.
Expertise in developing chilled and frozen products.
Strong creative instincts, with a track record of building new products and solving challenges innovatively.
Excellent communication and storytelling abilities.
Comfortable working both independently and as part of a team.

If you have the skills, experience, and drive to excel in this role, please reach out to James Grant, Head of Practice - Sales and Marketing at .