Product Development Technologist

About the role

Join the New Product Development (NPD) team at Compleat Food Group in Middlesbrough as a Product Development Technologist. You will support the creation and refinement of recipes, work closely with culinary and development teams, and help bring new food products to market.

Key responsibilities

• Assist the Development and Culinary teams in designing and tweaking recipes to meet customer specifications.
• Prepare sample foods in the kitchen for internal meetings and key customer presentations.
• Coordinate sample requests, arrange couriers, and ensure timely delivery of product samples.
• Support the preparation of NPD documentation, including submission forms, feasibility studies, and hand‑over files.
• Maintain the Recipe Professor system for the site and keep product data up to date.
• Source and evaluate new raw materials from technical and operational perspectives.
• Monitor critical path timelines, flagging risks and incomplete tasks to avoid launch delays.
• Collect customer specification information and manage artwork approvals.
• Complete benchmarking reports, conduct store visits, and support panel testing for both existing and new products.

Required profile

• Strong interest in food product development and a willingness to work hands‑on in a kitchen environment.
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple sample requests and documentation tasks.
• Good communication skills for liaising with internal teams, customers, and external suppliers.
• Attention to detail and the ability to follow critical‑path timelines rigorously.

Required skills

• Proficiency with the Recipe Professor recipe‑management software.

What we offer

• Competitive salary of £28,000 per annum.
• Full‑time permanent role with standard working hours (Mon‑Thu 8:30‑17:00, Fri 8:30‑16:00).
• Opportunity to work on a diverse portfolio of well‑known UK food brands.
• Supportive team environment within a fast‑growing food business.