Join to apply for the Product Development Manager role at Waitrose & Partners

Join to apply for the Product Development Manager role at Waitrose & Partners

About The Role

Hello, and thank you for your interest in our Product Development Manager position. The critical purpose of the role is to formulate, direct and deliver a customer focused product development strategy that delivers to the Own Brand plan, the customer plan, brand positioning and the innovation sales target. You’ll work closely with stakeholders to develop short, medium and long term strategic direction for categories in terms of product and packaging as well as working with the supply base and utilising the Waitrose chef team, championing customer first innovation and ensuring the brand position on quality and innovation is met at all times. Our ideal candidate will have a passion for food and the food industry, be a strategic thinker and natural problem solver. You’ll be an inspiring leader, comfortable with difficult decision making, someone customer-focused with a deep understanding of value perception, adaptable and resilient.

About The Role

Hello, and thank you for your interest in our Product Development Manager position. The critical purpose of the role is to formulate, direct and deliver a customer focused product development strategy that delivers to the Own Brand plan, the customer plan, brand positioning and the innovation sales target. You’ll work closely with stakeholders to develop short, medium and long term strategic direction for categories in terms of product and packaging as well as working with the supply base and utilising the Waitrose chef team, championing customer first innovation and ensuring the brand position on quality and innovation is met at all times. Our ideal candidate will have a passion for food and the food industry, be a strategic thinker and natural problem solver. You’ll be an inspiring leader, comfortable with difficult decision making, someone customer-focused with a deep understanding of value perception, adaptable and resilient.

At a glance:

• Salary: £75,700.00 - 121,000.00 per annum
• Contract type: This is a permanent position
• Hours and location of the role:
• 35 hours per week
• Your home location will be our Bracknell Head Office
• The Partnership has adopted a hybrid working approach meaning you'll be able to work a mixture between the office and home based upon your personal needs whilst balancing the needs of the business. The team attend the office on average 3 days a week to connect and attend key meetings on a more ad-hoc basis
  

• Work with the Head of Product Innovation on the formulation of the Own Brand (OB) plan led by Brand and Customer, across multiple categories (an example of the area of responsibility covered by one of the Product Development Manager roles extends across: Meal solutions, Bakery, Floral, Produce and FTG)
• Translate the overarching strategic direction of the OB plan to enable Product Developers (PDs) to develop category specific plans for their aligned areas, including market-leading innovation opportunities. Ensure plans are optimised to deliver our OB plan ambition
• Drive team to deliver the product development strategy that details the short, medium and long-term product & innovation plan for their aligned categories through analysis of market, consumer, food, ingredient, health trends & customer insights to identify innovation / renovation opportunities for OB
• Delivering clear and robust financial and customer benefits
• Be a beacon for OB and drive opportunities for newness and differentiation by always being on top of what is trending, new and distinctive, utilising a wide range of available insight and emerging market data
• Measure and review sales of Key OB ranges, new products & competitor activity, with recommendations on product improvements / new products that will feed back up into our OB plan
• Be the lead Head of product for selected strategic projects or events e.g Christmas, No.1 and help to define these propositions from a product perspective
• Drive the PD team to be relentless in the pursuit of quality and great taste in every tier and put the customer at the heart of every product related decision. Ensure the chef and Innovation team deliver & drive a market leading food culture amongst the Product Development function. Drive PD team to have a regular benchmarking programme where we know where our products sit versus the competition and where we have a rapid approach to dealing with poor customer reviews
• Attend brand design governance meetings to ensure clarity of direction for categories and to ensure a consistent approach and delivery of the agreed design
• Build strong relationships with key suppliers to Influence the development of the supply base to ensure sufficient NPD capability to deliver future plans and instigate innovation sessions with these suppliers. At all times be an ambassador for the Waitrose brand
• Provide line management for the PD team, setting and reviewing objectives, giving feedback and holding individuals to account to achieve the KPIs and objectives. Determine and manage PD resources according to priorities. Recruit, train and develop highly skilled PDs and chefs
• Active role in aligned category LT, driving & updating on the OB agenda and being a custodian of quality
• Collaborate with the programme team to continually improve our E2E process to ensure effective and efficient ways of working and role model our new processes, systems and ways of working across the team
• Accountable for the sign off of customer quality measures and product approval through the E2E gate Process
• Build strong external networks to ensure that we carry influence at the right level across multiple stakeholders, leveraging networks to support the overall programme
• Set the conditions for high performing multidisciplinary teams by creating and maintaining an environment, underpinned by inclusivity and collaboration, in which all professions are valued, individuals are motivated, have a voice and supported to work seamlessly and flexibly to deliver commercial and customer outcomes
  
  

• Have significant experience in a Product Development or innovation role in retail, manufacturing, food service or equivalent
• First rate food knowledge in either of the following industries: Food first retail, FMCG Manufacturing or Hospitality industry
• Degree of equivalent in a food related subject
• An analytical and strategic approach to work, with the ability to think commercially & to influence & lead internal stakeholders to ensure buy-in and alignment across cross- functional teams
• Excellent communication skills and ability to adapt to different audiences
• Successful & motivational people management experience, with the ability to role model our behaviours & have a positive and growth mindset to create a high performing team and able inspire a team to pursue opportunities and to recover from setbacks and challenges
• Proven ability to juggle multiple and conflicting priorities
  
  

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Product Management and Marketing

• Industries

  Retail

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