Culinary Innovation Manager New Product Development
Quorum Search Partners seeks a passionate and experienced Culinary Innovation Manager to lead the development of new food products from concept through to commercialisation.
This role is ideal for a driven professional with a strong background in protein product development who combines a deep understanding of flavour, formulation, and processing techniques with creativity and strategic thinking to deliver innovative products that meet both consumer expectations and commercial objectives.
Key Responsibilities:
• Lead the full product development lifecycle for meal solutions.
• Translate market trends and culinary insights into commercially viable product concepts.
• Work collaboratively with internal teams to ensure product feasibility, cost control, and brand alignment.
• Create and test new recipes in the development kitchen.
• Optimise product attributes including texture, flavour, appearance, and shelf-life.
• Ensure products meet all food safety, nutritional, and regulatory compliance standards.
• Plan, document, and manage trials, sensory evaluations, and production testing phases.
• Liaise with suppliers to explore and source new, innovative ingredients and raw materials.
• Present concepts and prototypes to internal stakeholders and customers with clear rationale and market relevance.
• Keep abreast of developments in food technology, protein innovation, and consumer trends.
Key Skills and Attributes:
• Strong culinary expertise, particularly in the meat/protein sector.
• Proven success in delivering new product launches within the protein category.
• Skilled in recipe costing, yield optimisation, and product standardisation.
• Excellent project management and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Understanding of food safety legislation, labelling requirements, and quality assurance.
• Strong communication and presentation skills, comfortable engaging with stakeholders and leadership.
• Flexible and adaptable, with the ability to work both independently and within a team.
• Willingness to work varying hours based on project or operational needs.
• Committed to maintaining a safe working environment and adhering to all health and safety policies.
Qualifications & Experience:
• Degree or certification in Culinary Arts, Food Science, Meat Science, or a related field.
• 35 years' experience in a culinary NPD role, ideally in a high-volume meat or protein production setting.
• Proficiency in sensory analysis, nutritional profiling, and product benchmarking tools.
Interested? We'd love to hear from you. Please submit your CV for immediate review.