Job Title: NPD Account Manager
Location: Belfast
Salary: £40,000 – £55,000
We are supporting a well-established and growing food manufacturing business supplying major retail, foodservice and B2B customers across the UK & Ireland. Due to continued growth, they are looking to appoint an NPD Account Manager to act as the key link between customers and the internal development teams.
This is a highly visible role within the business, combining customer-facing responsibility with hands-on product development, ensuring successful delivery of projects from concept through to launch.
Key Responsibilities
- Act as the primary contact for key customer accounts, managing the full NPD process from brief to launch
- Translate customer requirements into clear, actionable development briefs for internal teams
- Lead and manage multiple NPD projects simultaneously, ensuring timelines, costings and quality standards are met
- Work closely with Technical, Operations, Commercial and Procurement teams to deliver commercially viable products
- Attend and lead customer meetings, presenting concepts, samples and project updates
- Coordinate factory trials, product approvals and launch plans
- Ensure all products meet retailer specifications, technical standards and regulatory requirements
- Manage critical paths and ensure all deadlines are achieved
- Support continuous improvement of NPD processes and customer engagement
Requirements
- Proven experience in an NPD, Development or Customer-facing role within food manufacturing
- Strong understanding of chilled / (high care / short shelf life preferred)
- Experience working with major retailers or foodservice customers
- Ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment
- Strong communication and stakeholder management skills
- Commercial awareness with the ability to balance customer expectations and business needs
- Experience with factory trials, specifications and product launches
Additional Information
- Site-based role with some flexibility depending on business needs
- Fast-paced environment with strong cross-functional collaboration
- Opportunity to work closely with major customers and influence product strategy
- Clear progression opportunities within a growing business