Baked Product Development Manager

Baked Product Development Manager 

Billingham (Home of McCoy’s, pombear and more…) 

Hybrid

Join our snack-loving team! We're looking for a Baked Product Development Manager to join our team at KP Snacks. Fancy being part of a group where your ideas matter and your growth is celebrated? Keep reading – this might just be your next adventure! 

This role reflects our increased innovation focus on our baked snacks portfolio as part of KP Snacks’ long-term growth ambitions.

You’ll bring specialist knowledge of baked goods/crackers/biscuits and lead the development and improvement of products from concept through to commercialisation. Alongside this technical focus, you’ll play a key role within our UK R&D leadership team, to further enhance our R&D tools and processes, driving technical excellence with technical agility.

Reporting directly into our Head of R&D, you'll partner with cross-functional teams across KP and the wider Intersnack Group, including marketing and consumer insights, supply chain, procurement and suppliers/academia, whilst ultimately be a critical member of our One R&D Intersnack Community.

This is an ideal opportunity for someone with solid R&D experience within a reputable FMCG organisation, with passion and knowledge in baked categories, with a genuine desire to help develop and influence our wider R&D capability.

What’s in it for you?  

We believe in giving back and making sure you're happy and thriving. Here's a taste of what we offer: 

• Annual bonus scheme, with an excellent track record of over achievement.

• £6000 car cash allowance

• Comprehensive Healthcare Support – Access to a Medicash Health Cash Plan or Private Healthcare, including a Digital GP service, Best Doctors (Second Medical Opinion Service), and specialist Cancer Care for peace of mind when you need it most.

• KP Pension Plan - contribution matching up to 7% of your salary

• 25 days holiday + holiday buy scheme 

• KP4ME - online benefits, discounts, prizes, competitions and information platform with access to mental, physical and financial wellbeing information and tools 

What will you be doing? 

• Lead the development of baked snacks projects
  You'll be responsible for developing and commercialising new baked snacks across our UK brands. This will include recipe formulation, benchtop development, scale-up planning, and overseeing trials at factory level, ensuring every product meets our quality, safety, and brand standards.

• Deliver projects with technical excellence and agility
  You’ll design and lead robust experimental plans, from bench to scale with strong focus on data-led decision-making, and help embed R&D best practice via enhanced tools and processes. You’ll ensure product designs are factory-ready and transitioned smoothly into production using our P2M and MoPD  stage gate processes.

• Collaborate across KP and the wider Intersnack network
  Partner closely with colleagues in manufacturing, marketing, procurement, and our Intersnack flavour team, you’ll ensure projects are technically sound and commercially viable. You’ll also be an active contributor to the Baked Community of Practice, sharing insights and championing technical innovation.

• Develop yourself and others
  As a member of the UK R&D Leadership team, your contributions will influence the overall UK R&D agenda, and you will be one of our champions to nurture R&D talent across our organisation.

Who are we?  

Glad you asked! We're KP Snacks, proud to be part of the Intersnack family. Picture this: over 15,000 of us, spread across more than 30 countries, all working together to create the snacks you love. From Hula Hoops to McCoy's, we're the team behind your favourite munchies. 

Here in the UK, we're about 2,400 strong, spread across seven factories and our Slough HQ. But don't let our size fool you – we're as close-knit as they come. We believe in speaking our minds, celebrating our differences, and pushing boundaries together. 

Diversity isn't just a buzzword for us.  We're on a mission to create a workplace where everyone belongs. So, even if you don't tick every box, we want to hear from you! Your unique perspective could be just what we need. Also, if there's anything we can do to make this process easier for you, just give us a shout. 

We’d love to hear from you if you can demonstrate the following knowledge, skills and experience: 

• FMCG Baked expertise: Several years experience in developing baked goods (e.g. crackers, biscuits) with a strong understanding of ingredients, processes, and functionality.

• STEM qualification: A degree in Food Science, Chemistry, Engineering, or another STEM discipline; relevant certifications or project management training are a plus.

• Strong technical skills: Confident designing and running experiments, analysing data, and writing reports to support R&D decision-making.

• Project delivery in FMCG: Proven track record of managing  and delivering a portfolio of projects and programs within a fast-paced environment.

• Leadership/collaborative mindset: Natural affinity to lead, engage, and coach others, sharing best practice, and contributing to a positive, continuous improvement culture.

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