Ballymaloe Foods are looking for an enthusiastic New Product Development Graduate to join our team.
The Company
This is an exciting opportunity in a family business that has grown gradually since 1990. The company is based in Little Island, Co. Cork and makes Ballymaloe products for retail and food service markets. We make great tasting products with top quality ingredients. We run our business with strong values of Dedication, High Standards and Ballymaloe Warmth.
The NPD Graduate will play a key role in supporting the research, development, and successful launch of new food products. This role offers hands-on experience across recipe development, trials, documentation, testing and cross-functional project coordination, providing a strong foundation for a career within the Food & FMCG sector.
Key Responsibilities
* Support product development trials, from kitchen samples through to pilot production, including sourcing ingredients and travelling to retailers or wholesalers when required.
* Assist with recipe development, ingredient sourcing and detailed record-keeping.
* Conduct trend research and contribute to ideation sessions focused on future food trends and innovation opportunities up to 2027.
* Carry out benchmarking and research of internal products and competitor products to inform decision-making.
* Prepare samples, supporting documentation and presentations for internal reviews, consumer panels and customer engagements.
* Maintain accurate NPD documentation including specifications, trial sheets, recipe developments and shelf-life records.
* Support compliance by ensuring new product concepts meet relevant legal, quality and food safety requirements.
* Collaborate closely with Procurement, Production, Quality, Marketing and Sales teams to enable smooth project progression and launches.
* Contribute to continuous improvement projects, operational efficiencies and sustainability initiatives.
* Support consumer testing, data analysis and interpretation to drive insights for ongoing innovation.
* Monitor and review the performance of NPD pipelines to support revenue growth and commercial outcomes.
* Attend weekly NPD tracker meetings, update progress, flag risks and adjust priorities based on changing business or customer needs.
Desired Skills & Attributes
* Strong research and analytical abilities
* Interest in food trends, innovation and product development
* Highly organised with strong attention to detail
* Good communicator with a collaborative mindset
* Willingness to be hands-on and adaptable
Development Opportunity
Over the two-year programme, the Graduate will gain experience across all stages of the NPD process, from ideation to launch, and build commercial, technical and project skills to support future career progression.
Job Types: Full-time, Fixed term, Graduate
Contract length: 24 months
Pay: From €30,000.00 per year
Benefits:
* Employee assistance program
* On-site parking
Ability to commute/relocate:
* Little Island, Cork, CO. Cork: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (preferred)
Language:
* English (preferred)
Work authorisation:
* Ireland (preferred)
Work Location: In person