NPD Manager - (Fixed-Term Contract, Maternity Cover)

NPD Manager - (Fixed-Term Contract, Maternity Cover)

Allied Bakeries are owned by Associated British Foods. ABF is a diversified international food, ingredients and retail group with sales of £13.9bn and 128,000 employees in 53 countries. It has significant businesses in Europe, Africa, the Americas, Asia and Australia.. Our sister companies in ABF UK Grocery produce products under many market-leading household brands, including Jordans, Ryvita, Pataks, Blue Dragon & Silver Spoon.

We are proud of our brands: we make top 10 UK grocery brand Kingsmill as well as Allinson’s, Bürgen and Sunblest. You’ll know us best through our white, wholemeal and seeded market-leading loaves, as well as Kingsmill 50/50, the nation’s favourite Healthier White, and our delicious pancakes, crumpets,





hot cross buns and other bakery products.

The success of our business depends on us having the right people on the team. We are incredibly passionate about our business, but it isn’t for the faint-hearted – it’s pacey and demanding so our people need to have a positive attitude and to want to work inclusively. We take massive pride in what we do, not least in how colleagues based in our bakeries and depots have one of the best safety performance records in the industry.

Our Grocery Service Centre, based near Liverpool, is a hub for transactional activity across multiple ABF companies within the ABF Grocery division. Supporting some of our well-known brands such as Kingsmill, Pataks, Blue Dragon, Jordans, Ryvita and Silver Spoon, amongst others. We deliver Shared Service activities across a wide range of disciplines including Customer Services, Consumer Care, Finance, Payroll, HR and IS.

If you’re looking to join a business that is passionate,





encourages you to be the best you can be, and values its people, we’d love to hear from you.

Overview Of Role

Location: Maidenhead

We are seeking a motivated and experienced NPD Manager to join our Central Team at Allied Bakeries, based in Maidenhead, on a fixed-term contract covering maternity leave. This is an exciting opportunity to work alongside industry experts in bakery manufacturing, offering excellent opportunities for growth and the chance to network with professionals across our wider group.

As the NPD Manager, you will lead the development of Branded and Customer Branded product solutions. You’ll play a hands-on role in bringing new product development (NPD) and existing product development (EPD) projects to life,





ensuring they align with both internal and external customer strategies. This dynamic role includes managing projects from concept through to post-launch, working closely with our test bakery and ensuring the smooth scale-up of products to plant production.

What are the key ingredients needed for the role?

- Lead and manage NPD/EPD projects from approval to delivery, ensuring time, cost, and quality targets are met.
- Provide post-launch support, conducting quality assessments for up to 12 weeks depending on performance.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with operational, engineering, and commercial teams.
- Provide product and ingredient expertise to internal and external customers.
- Work closely with the test bakery to deliver concept samples and ensure smooth product scale-up.






- Partner with Food Safety and procurement teams to introduce new raw materials that meet product, operational, legal, and cost requirements.
- Ensure NPD/EPD aligns with current regulations and industry initiatives.
- Support benchmarking activities for branded and customer branded products to maintain consistency and quality.

Skills And Qualifications

- Degree level or equivalent in Food Science, Food Technology, or related discipline.
- Good project management skills.
- Proven ability to build relationships at all levels, both internally and externally.
- Experience in retailer relationship management.
- Good presentation and communication skills.
- Self-motivated, with a proactive approach.
- Proficient in Microsoft Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint,





and Word.
- Full UK Driving Licence required, as travel to bakeries, customers, and suppliers is part of the role.

Why join us?

Benefits

There are plenty of reasons why this is a great place to work, and here are just a few of the benefits for you:

- Competitive annual Salary
- 33 days annual leave (based on working 5 days per week)
- Comprehensive training as part of induction
- Pension: Matching employer pension contributions of up to 10% (inclusive of Life Assurance),
- Employee Assistance Programme:

- A 24/7, 365 helpline, with calls answered by experienced in-house counsellors, legal and financial specialists
- My Healthy Advantage smartphone app and online personalised well-being content.

Cycle to work scheme,





Extra Slice - Our Company discount scheme saves employees money at more than 500 businesses/outlets.
This is an exceptional opportunity to contribute to the future of Allied Bakeries, working with a talented team on projects that will shape the bakery sector. If you’re passionate about food innovation and have the skills to drive development success, we’d love to hear from you!

▶️ NPD Manager - (Fixed-Term Contract, Maternity Cover)
🖊️ Allied Bakeries | part of Associated British Foods
📍 Maidenhead