Job Description

Full time

Senior Food Product & Technical Manager

United Kingdom, Milton Keynes 2 days ago



Job category

Retail

Experience level

Intermediate

Relocation available

This role is not eligible for relocation

Job type

Professionals

Travel required

Up to 25% travel should be expected with this role

Job code

RQ105230





Job Summary



We are seeking an experienced and forward?thinking Senior Food Product & Technical Manager to lead the strategic development, technical delivery, and food?safety governance of our food product portfolio across the retail network. This role plays a pivotal part in driving innovation, ensuring compliance, enhancing customer experience, and aligning product and technical initiatives with broader business objectives. The ideal candidate will combine strong product leadership with deep food?technical expertise, agility, and data?driven decision?making.



Responsibilities



Product Leadership & Strategy



Lead the full lifecycle of food product development--from concept through launch--ensuring all solutions reflect customer needs, commercial priorities, and operational feasibility. Develop clear product roadmaps and cases that articulate value, differentiation, and long?term strategic direction.



Food Safety & Technical Governance



Oversee food?safety standards across all retail food operations, ensuring compliance with HACCP and relevant legislation. Provide expert guidance on food quality, safety risks, and operational controls. Support teams in implementing safe, consistent, and legally compliant food?handling practices.



Agility & Continuous Improvement



Champion Agility core practices within product and technical teams, fostering a culture of rapid iteration, continuous improvement, and collaborative problem?solving. Encourage adaptive ways of working that accelerate delivery and enhance product quality.



Customer & Data Insight



Analyse customer data and market trends to find opportunities, optimise existing offerings, and guide strategic decisions. Translate insights into actionable product strategies that strengthen customer engagement and drive performance. Present data clearly through effective visualisation and interpretation.



Cross?Functional Collaboration



Partner with retail operations, marketing, supply chain, and technical teams to ensure seamless integration and delivery of new food products and solutions. Promote digital collaboration tools to enhance communication, alignment, and cross?functional efficiency.



Partnership & Commercial Management



Develop and maintain strong relationships with suppliers, vendors, and technology partners. Lead negotiation planning and preparation to secure favourable terms and ensure successful long?term collaborations. Support commercial decision?making with strong analytical and strategic thinking.



Retail Category & Territory Development



Drive innovation within food?related Retail Category Management by identifying new product categories and optimising existing ones to maximise profitability and customer satisfaction. Contribute to retail territory development by understanding market dynamics and technical requirements for new and existing sites.



Training & Capability Building



Design and deliver effective food?technical and product?focused training programmes for frontline teams. Promote knowledge sharing across teams and mentor junior colleagues to strengthen organisational capability.



Industry Expertise & Advocacy



Act as a subject matter expert, staying informed on food?industry trends, technological advancements, and regulatory changes. Advocate for best practices and ensure the organisation remains competitive and forward?looking within the retail food sector.



Essential qualifications



Experience in senior product management or technical leadership within food, retail, or related sectors.

Strong expertise in Agility practices and methodologies.

Exceptional analytical and problem?solving skills, with proficiency in data interpretation and visualisation.

Demonstrated commercial competence with a history of driving business growth.

Excellent communication, negotiation, and presentation abilities.

Deep understanding of customer?centric thinking and the ability to translate insights into product strategies.

Experience using digital collaboration tools.

Strong industry knowledge within food retail or food manufacturing.

Commitment to knowledge sharing and team development.

Proven negotiation planning and preparation capabilities.

Experience in partner relationship management.

Extensive experience in Retail Category Management.

Familiarity with retail territory development.

Strong capability in designing and delivering food?technical and retail training programmes.

HACCP certification - Level 4 preferred, Level 3 minimum (mandatory).

A couple of years' experience in food?safety management or food?safety?related operations (mandatory).

Degree in Food Science, Nutrition, Biology, or a related field (mandatory)



Why join us?



At bp, we support our people to grow in a diverse and exciting environment. We believe that our team is strengthened by diversity.



There are many aspects of our employees' lives that are meaningful, so we offer benefits to enable your work to fit with your life. These benefits can include flexible working options, a generous paid parental leave policy, excellent retirement benefits, among others!



We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

Legal Disclaimer:

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, socioeconomic status, neurodiversity/neurocognitive functioning, veteran status or disability status. Individuals with an accessibility need may request an adjustment/accommodation related to bp's recruiting process (e.g., accessing the job application, completing required assessments, participating in telephone screenings or interviews, etc.). If you would like to request an adjustment/accommodation related to the recruitment process, please contact us.



If you are selected for a position and depending upon your role, your employment may be contingent upon adherence to local policy. This may include pre-placement drug screening, medical review of physical fitness for the role, and background checks.

Our innovative Energize recognition points programme and spot awards translate exceptional performance into tangible rewards, to motivate our high performers.Pay bp offers competitive pay in line with industry standards, making us an employer of choice. Discretionary bonusWe offer discretionary bonuses to reward strong company, business unit and individual performance, and recognition awards, including those related to long service to recognize commitment to the company. Retirement & savings We offer a range of discretionary retirement and savings plans to help provide you and your family with financial security. Insurance benefitsTo give you additional peace of mind, bp provides valuable insurance benefits in some countries. These are designed to provide financial assistance to employees and their families if employees become unwell or die in service. EquityDepending on your location and job level, there may be equity (stock and share) options you are eligible to join so you can be part of bp's success.