Job Description

Who is New England Seafood International?

New England Seafood International (NESI) was established in 1991 and is an importer and processor of premium fresh and frozen sustainable fish and seafood. NESI employs circa 650 people across two sites in the UK and imports a wide range of wild and farmed fish and shellfish from all around the world. We are part of the Sealaska Corporation, an Alaska Native corporation formed in 1971 and which is owned by 22,000 Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian shareholders, who are all bloodline descendants of the first settlers to the Americas.

Our vision is to "show people how to enjoy fish every day" and we pride ourselves on our supply chain integrity, sustainable sourcing and high-quality product. Our values run through our business and are Respect, Customer Care, By Learning We Grow, Team Spirit and Integrity.

Title:

Junior NPD Manager

Reports to:

Lead NPD Manager

Location:

Chessington - travel to other sites and customer sites required

Salary:

DOE

Shift pattern:

Monday - Friday

Hours:

8:00am - 5:00pm

At NESI our core purpose is enhancing lives through fish, and we believe people are the most important asset to any business, that is why we choose to put all our people first, by investing in developing our leaders to ensure they can support their teams by growing individuals, to reach their true potential.



This is an instrumental role that involves managing and delivering our customer own label development agenda for Retail, Brand and Foodservice. You will take accountability of the customer development from concept through to launch while working collaboratively with internal teams and key stake holders to drive our consumer category vision through to final product execution.

Accountabilities:

Working with the development team and other cross functional teams you will be responsible for the following:

Play a key role in enabling the creative development of products in the kitchen from concept through to factory handover via the Stage and Gate process to ensure the smooth transition of new concepts into the factory whilst safeguarding that developed products meet the business and retailer requirements. Manages critical paths for specific product ranges, plans, organises and controls resources to deliver development concepts to an agreed quality and timescale. Ensuring all tasks have been delivered, recorded, signed off & filed for audit purposes. Develop strong relationships with our customers' developers to influence and be front of mind on their strategic plans. Whilst also coordinating with customers to provide strategic insight and to feedback to the business customer goals and ambitions. Co-ordinate and set standards for customer presentations (both product & paper) which ensures NESI is considered the center of excellence for fish development in terms of species and added value. Uses the principles of category insights to gain a true understanding of the wants and needs of the consumer to develop profitable products. Take advantage of internal sources of information in addition to external sensory, screening and supporting organisations. Working closely with our suppliers to develop our relationships with them and get ahead on our NPD thinking and concept creation whilst keeping business procurement teams informed. Collate market data and conduct benchmarking on category / competitors' range through online range reviews and store visits so we better understand the market and identify gap fill opportunities or possible recipe / innovation cues. Be the Food Trends guardian - building updates on what's going on in the market supported with the insight team. Facilitate and support Innovation Days and Food Safaris and follow up with fully documented and detailed outputs that can be shared internally and externally When necessary, attending trade shows, NPD events and suppliers. Represent the department at regular site-based meetings and feedback centrally as appropriate. Support other department roles during holidays and short-term absence.

Experience Required:

A track record of working cross functionally in a similar and fast-paced food manufacturing environment and successful implementation of own label or branded NPD. Understanding of factory environments and Food Industry Technical standards and compliance- HACCP, BRC, AIB etc. Worked closely on Customer Own Label Agendas - preferably with at least one major UK retailer Up-to-date knowledge on customer codes of practice, government labelling legislation and food trends. Strong experience on the full product development process and critical path & project management from concept through to launch. Hands-on approach to development, in both the kitchen and factory, and a genuine interest in food is a must, complemented by strong commercial acumen. Excellent computer skills using Business Systems. Ideally a Food Science Degree or equivalent with a minimum of 2 years' experience in a chilled manufacturing environment, some knowledge of fish an advantage but not critical. Full UK driving license.

Other:

Requires flexibility of hours to ensure adequate cover for all new product launches. This requires presence on weekends occasionally. Travel and overnight stays for customer and supplier meetings

Benefits:

25 days holiday, plus bank holidays Pension 5% employee contribution 3% employer contribution Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Pay Life Assurance: 3 x annual salary Employee Assistance Programme Cycle to work scheme Staff discount on products Unlimited Refreshments On-site parking Referral Programme Sports & Social Fund

NESI Health and Safety

New England Seafood International will work to ensure it fulfils its moral and legal responsibilities and will not compromise on Health & Safety. We have a strong belief and culture that no one should be hurt resulting from our operations. Health & Safety will always be given priority when considering other business activities.

We will ensure that all persons are provided with a safe working environment and have access to suitable welfare facilities including safe access and egress.

We will ensure all our staff are site inducted, provided the necessary levels of H&S training to work safe on site and provided expert training for their role. In order for people to work safely and on completion of a detailed risk assessment, we will provide suitable and appropriate machinery, equipment and PPE to fulfil this objective.

Our H&S objectives will always be reviewed frequently and will be communicated openly through the business and will be used to drive continued improvement to our H&S standards and culture. This is achieved by consultation and positive interaction with our employees.



NESI Food Safety

Every employee is expected to be proactive in adhering to Food Safety rules and is encouraged to actively promote and cultivate a Food Safety Culture within the workplace; as a company, we are committed to providing ongoing support, comprehensive training, and the necessary tools to continuously upskill our knowledge about food safety, empowering all team members to engage in open communication with the NESI colleagues to share ideas, address challenges, and collaboratively uphold our commitment to Food Safety Excellence.