As a Product Developer you will be responsible for the innovation and development of new products, formulations, and specifications. You will work in accordance with overall brand strategy and with all quality, regulatory and legal requirements. The role is key in contributing to a Distillery’s strategic direction.

A natural innovator, you’ll execute product development & innovation projects to deliver new product innovations and value engineering opportunities.

Roles and responsibilities: 

• Monitor industry and consumer trends to stay informed of market developments; collaborate with suppliers and key contacts, including legal and environmental developments.
• Actively create and communicate new product ideas / Whisky innovations, then translate into reality through product development processes and collaboration. Resultant new products / innovations to be in line with overall business strategy and to agreed KPIs (deliverables).
• Understand the cost drivers for new product development and strive to achieve the maximum quality and ROI of a product recipe.
• Planning and execution of various whiskey blending exercises, eg weekly taste panels, SOP refinement / development, auditing Whiskey systems for data quality etc.
• Ideate and experiment with your own product development projects - producing recipes and specifications, planning and conducting production trials, securing competitiveness and quality of the products, selecting appropriate and cost-efficient raw materials.
• Develop, in collaboration with the Brand Managers, guidelines and toolkits for Portfolio product launches and experiences.
• Maintain formulations and records for all projects, testing & development of a product.
• Manage sample requirements and shipments.
• Active participation in developing product development working methods.
• Maintain laboratory equipment, including daily checks and basic troubleshooting.
• Manage the transfer of new and revised recipes from laboratory scale to production. Including all documentation, product technical manual, certificates and evaluation/approval of the Whisky goods first production.
• Execute product stability testing as per best practises & requirements (including physical and sensory testing).

To succeed in the role, you need to have a hands-on knowledge and proven track record of product development, preferably in the food or beverage industry with alcohol/non-alcohol drinks. You will have strong process, project management and teamworking skills with a demonstrable track record of getting things done.

• You will usually be required to have a degree or diploma in a scientific field eg Chemistry, Food Science, Brewing & Distilling
• You will have a food / beverage background preferably in alcohol drinks
• You will have an excellent understanding of product development processes including flavour characteristics, sensory evaluation and testing.
• You are a skilled project manager and can confidently balance the demands of a fast-paced environment with the ability to drive results and meet project deadlines.
• You’re focussed on user-centred product / innovation development.
• You have a positive can-do attitude, learn fast, and are curious and creative.
• You have hands-on lab experience with a solid understanding of the distillation process and the analytical skills needed to interpret results and data.
• You are a team player with strong interpersonal, influencing and problem solving skills

Qualifications:

• Bachelor/Master’s Degree in Food Technology, Food Chemistry or relevant skills acquired by work experience.
• Minimum 3-year work experience in product development in food or beverage industry.

Institute of Brewing and Distilling
Tel: 020 7499 8144
Website: http://www.ibd.org.uk
Twitter: @IBDHQ
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IBDHQ

National Skills Academy for Food and Drink
Tel: 0330 174 1253
E-mail: info@nsafd.co.uk
Website: http://nsafd.co.uk
Twitter: @NSAFD

Scotland Food and Drink
Tel: 0131 335 0940
Website: http://www.foodanddrink.scot
Twitter: @scotfooddrink
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scotfooddrink