Senior NPD Technologist - Shape the Future of Innovation
Are you ready to elevate your food development career in 2026? This full-time permanent opportunity, based in Co. Wicklow, offers the chance to work with one of Ireland's most respected names in prepared consumer foods. You'll join a passionate and collaborative team dedicated to culinary innovation in food products for retail and foodservice markets.
About the Opportunity
As a Senior NPD Technologist, you'll play an essential role in bringing new ideas to life, helping turn creative concepts into successful products that land on supermarket shelves, restaurant menus, and foodservice offerings across Ireland and the UK. You'll work side-by-side with cross-functional teams, from culinary and production to commercial and quality, making this a varied, hands-on, and highly rewarding role.
If you enjoy experimenting with flavours, perfecting recipes, and understanding how products perform from kitchen bench to factory line, this position will give you the ideal blend of creativity and technical challenge.
What we offer:
* Full-Time Permanent Position
* Location:
Wicklow
* Working Hours:
Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm, No Weekends
* Salary:
€40'000-€45'000 DOE
* Benefits:
Company Pension Contribution, Health Insurance, Upskilling & Additional Training Career Development Opportunities, Work in a state-of-the-art full NPD trial kitchen, supportive cross functional team culture and working environment, 20 Days Annual Leave, work with a growing business, Staff Events, Bike to work Scheme, On-Site Parking
What You'll Get Involved In
* Partner with the NPD Manager to create exciting new samples for customers.
* Develop products from initial concept right through to launch, ensuring they align with customer expectations, market trends, and business priorities.
* Build and adjust recipes to hit key targets for taste, texture, cost, nutrition, and performance.
* Run kitchen and factory trials to confirm product consistency and ensure smooth scale-up for production.
* Maintain thorough records, formulations, and process documents throughout every stage of development.
* Keep up-to-date with emerging flavour trends, foodservice menu insights, and competitor activity to inspire future innovation.
* Work closely with foodservice customers to understand their menus, translate their needs into manufacturing-ready solutions, and develop products tailored to real-world applications.
* Support project timelines, track progress, and communicate updates to internal teams.
* Suggest improvements for processes, ingredients, and efficiencies across development activities.
* Take part in post-launch reviews to identify improvement opportunities.
* Assist the commercial team with customer samples, specifications, and product presentations.
* Create quality attribute sheets for both new and existing products.
* Build strong relationships with suppliers to support ingredient sourcing and innovation.
What You'll Bring
* A qualification in Food Science, Food Technology, Culinary Arts, or a related field, or equivalent hands-on experience.
* Previous experience in food product development from concept to launch.
* Knowledge of ingredient behaviour, processing techniques, and sensory evaluation.
* Confident communication skills and strong organisation abilities.
* Experience using MS Office and familiarity with specification or formulation tools.
* A passion for food, flavour, and forward-thinking innovation.
Ready to bring your ideas to life?
If you're excited by innovation, love developing great-tasting food, and want to make your mark with a company that continues to grow year after year, this could be your perfect next step.
Apply today or get in touch for a confidential chat to explore whether this role aligns with your goals for the year ahead.