NPD Process Manager

Bright Blue Foods Limited; Blackburn; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading food manufacturer in Blackburn is seeking an NPD Process Manager to lead product development projects. The role involves coordinating trials, managing stakeholders, and ensuring successful product launches. Ideal candidates will possess 5+ years of experience in food manufacturing and have a passion for bakery. Competitive salary and benefits available.

Benefits

Great salary depending on experience

Pension

Life Assurance/Death in Service Benefit

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Employee Assistance Programme

Access to a mediation and wellbeing app

Online training platform with 100+ courses

Free on-site parking

Qualifications

• At least 5 years’ experience in food manufacturing, preferably bakery related.
• Demonstrated leadership skills managing a team.

Responsibilities

• Deliver all projects in line with critical path.
• Coordinate trials and document trial outputs.
• Manage stakeholders effectively between departments.
• Line management of a team of 4/5.

Skills

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Teamwork

Ability to work under pressure

Education

Food science-related qualification

Job description

NPD Process Manager

We are currently recruiting a NPD Process Manager to be based at our Blackburn bakery on a full‑time, permanent basis.

Full‑time, Permanent

BBF Limited

Blackburn

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for a motivated individual with great organisational skills and a passion for bakery. You will be a team player with superb communication skills, acting as the first point of contact for our key customers and internal teams. You will lead a process team and be responsible for the successful upscaling of concepts across Blackburn, Shadsworth and Bradford sites.

A self‑starter, you will show energy and enthusiasm for the products you work with, and you will thrive under pressure.

The ideal candidate will have at least 5 years’ experience within a food manufacturing business, preferably a bakery or equivalent knowledge/experience. A food science–related qualification is preferred.

The role of a NPD Manager at BBF Limited

• To successfully deliver all projects in‑line with the critical path, ensuring full and timely communication and collaboration with all areas of the business and the customer.
• Responsible for coordinating the trials and ensuring the trial outputs are recorded, creating factory recipes, agreeing the QAS directly with customer and ensuring a smooth handover to our specifications team.
• To ensure all projects adhere to the PLM process, ensuring any product introduced to the sites is controlled and documented.
• Manage Stakeholders – ensure great communication between key departments, particularly site operations and technical teams.
• Line management, with a team of 4/5.
• As the site contact, travel to BBF sites or our customers’ head office is essential; you will host customer visits at site.

About BBF Limited

BBF Limited is one of the UK’s leading ambient cake and chilled dessert manufacturers for retailer own‑label, licensed and branded cakes, supplying major retailers across the UK and European market.

Our team develops and manufactures a wide range of high‑quality ambient cake products across several categories, including celebration cake, mini rolls, mince pies, fruit pies, and chilled desserts such as cheesecake, crumbles and sponge cakes.

With recent investment and acquisitions, we now have nearly 1,400 direct employees and are looking to grow with exceptional talent across all levels and disciplines.

What do you get in return?

Financial

• Great salary depending on experience.
• Pension.
• Life Assurance/Death in Service Benefit.

Access To The Company Benefits Hub

• Access to the ‘Company Shop’ – a discount re‑distributor of surplus food and household products.
• Health & Wellbeing: 25 days holiday (plus bank holidays), Employee Assistance Programme, access to a meditation and wellbeing app.
• Personal & Professional Development: dedicated in‑house Learning & Development/Training team, online training platform with access to 100+ training courses.
• A few other bits: free on‑site parking.

Recruitment Agencies

We operate a recruitment PSL when we require assistance. Any agency assistance will be instructed accordingly and therefore any CVs sent to any BBF Limited employee will be treated as a gift and will not be liable for a fee. Please do not speculatively contact us in relation to this vacancy or any other vacancy.

Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at BBF Limited by 2x.