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Group Head of Development & Innovation

Employer
Drayton Partners
Location
Midlands (but with frequent travel around UK)
Salary
Excellent
Closing date
21 Apr 2014

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Business Sector
Food & Drink
Contract Type
Permanent
Hours
Full Time
Function
Marketing, Other Job Function, Supply Chain & Logistics

Job Details

Our client is a hugely respected and ambitious multi-site European food business. Their UK business is a key supplier to all of the major trading channels, including a particularly successful grocery and foodservice operation. They are enjoying a fascinating period of progressive cultural and structural change.

The Role

The Group Head of Development & Innovation looks after 3 key areas of the business:

  • Customer Presentation & Insight
  • Innovation
  • NPD & Process

They will be required to:

  • Create the future Innovation strategy for the business and be accountable for its delivery.
  • Lead idea-generation sessions with both internal and external stakeholders using proven ideation tools & techniques to deliver a high quantity and quality of ideas.
  • To manage and inspire their team to effectively convert Innovation opportunities (product, process and packaging) and to smartly deliver NPD in line with UK strategy.
  • To work effectively with the Marketing Director to identify and then validate consumer insight, delivered through research on consumers consumption habits.
  • Be the ‘culinary guru’ who will drive, inspire and educate across all current and future product categories. Take responsibility for raising food standards and food trend awareness. Keep each division aware of current and emerging trends, including new ingredients, new process technologies and packaging innovation.

Key Responsibilities

Our client is seeking an outstanding individual to lead Innovation and Product Development. The key tasks and responsibilities include:

  • Leading the Innovation & Development process. Motivating, championing and inspiring the NPD function to become best-in-class.
  • Thoroughly researching new ideas and identifying market opportunities to which existing products could be tailored and new products developed.
  • Actively participating in strategic product and process planning by continuously scanning the external environment for new product and process technologies.
  • Keeping up to date with the very latest food trends in the market.
  • Accountable for managing 2 teams of c40 people with responsibility for supporting and further developing site specific NPD teams.
  • Developing and supporting exceptional people to deliver agreed objectives and enable them to achieve their full potential. Providing strong leadership to the NPD team, building a commercially-focused function. Creating a sense of pace and urgency around innovation and a strong sense of shared vision.
  • Supporting the integration of the team into the respective supporting business units in order to facilitate thorough understanding of the customer and consumer needs and subsequently identify new opportunities.
  • Partnering with the commercial team to ensure that development strategies have optimal market penetration and that there is strong collaboration between the functional areas.
  • Identifying & delivering product quality and nutrition improvements, taking account of the needs of all stakeholders.
  • Developing outstanding relationships with the customer base, ensuring that the business is recognised as the leaders in product development and the ‘go-to’ supplier.
  • Developing links with other parts of the group to share knowledge and deliver excellence.
  • Supporting cost reduction processes through the business and other ad-hoc manufacturing initiatives.

The Person

The successful candidate will need to:

  • Have the ability to generate creative ideas in line with current and future food trends and translate them in to exciting and appealing food offers.
  • Have deep experience of managing the 'Innovation P&L', with a successful track record of delivering a high percentage of projects above target profitability.
  • Be highly innovative and open to new ideas, cuisines and concepts. Offer strong food credentials, with a deep passion for quality.
  • Relish the opportunity to take responsibility for the growth and enhancement of the “Development & Innovation Team”. Be a proven and highly capable people leader.
  • Drive the innovation agenda for the Group, whilst relentlessly enhancing their products, all within a framework of strong sales growth. It is a ‘given’ that product compliance sits central to all activities.
  • You will need to be a results-driven individual able to add value cross-functionally.
  • Offer at least 10 years’ experience within the UK food industry. Experience within chilled food would be highly advantageous.
  • Demonstrate a strong track record of success within a highly credible, complex, multi-site food manufacturer. Individuals with a retail background will also be considered.
  • An excellent reputation with customers, known and respected for their views and opinions.

Company

A smarter approach to senior management recruitment. Drayton Partners provide a bespoke executive search solution to the Food and Drink, Consumer Goods and Retail sectors.

We are recognised as one of the UK′s leading executive recruitment firms. We believe that fundamental to our smarter approach is the ability to build long-term strategic partnerships. We do this through an absolute commitment to our key values:

  • Delivering Results
  • Integrity in our Communication
  • Always Adding Value

We are experts in our specialist sectors, and all have commercial and technical backgrounds so we ‘get’ what you are looking for. We know our markets intimately, bringing immediate substance to an executive recruitment project.

We boast a highly successful track record and are widely known and respected within the industry. Drayton Partners - a smarter approach to executive recruitment.

Company info
Website
Telephone
0845 269 0550
Location
City Quadrant
11 Waterloo Square
Newcastle
Tyne and Wear
NE1 4DP
GB

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