NPD Manager

Kinrise is a growing, privately owned powerhouse in Australian food manufacturing with some of Australia’s most loved and innovative brands. We describe ourselves as a ‘start up with scale’ and have a burning ambition to grow our business. Formed in 2018 the Kinrise portfolio covers Biscuits, Breakfast, Baking, Bakery, and Snackfood categories and has 40+ years making iconic Australian food, with a rich Australian heritage that’s grounded in family origins.

Role Summary:

Reporting to the Head of R&D and NPD, the NPD Manager is responsible for leading key product innovation and renovation projects end-to-end, from the product conceptualisation and recipe development, through to trial, factory validation, and commercial production - collaborating with cross-functional teams to bring new products to life.

Ensuring compliance with food safety and regulatory standards, this role is pivotal in the research and development of new products, processes, and technologies as well as driving value engineering initiatives that deliver operational efficiency improvements, commercial value, consumer and sustainability benefits across all Snackfoods sites.

Key Accountabilities:

Result Areas

Accountabilities

Measures

Innovation & Product Development

Lead the development of new products from concept to commercialisation, ensuring speed to market with sustainability at the core of product and packaging design.

Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to ensure product design aligns with brand strategy and product requirements.

Lead the creation of prototypes and conduct feasibility studies for new product concepts.

Conduct rigorous testing to ensure product functionality, and quality throughout the product lifecycle, optimising shelf life and consumer experience.

Provide technical insights and advice to guide business on investments of new lines and/or systems.

Partner with Operations team, and with ingredient and equipment suppliers, to develop and introduce new packaging processes.

Champion a culture of innovation within the R&D and NPD team, demonstrating creativity and experimentation.

Stay abreast of the latest developments in food science, emerging technologies, and industry trends to drive innovation and continuous improvement and maintain awareness and knowledge with Snackfoods Leadership Team and other key roles

Partner with the Procurement team to seek and evaluate external partners for materials.

All projects launched on time, in full and to brief

Complete shelf life and sensory evaluation to validate product design

Review CAPEX inputs to support investments

Ensure central Procurement reviews quotes received from suppliers prior to commitment.

New products/product changes implemented do not negatively impact OEE

Coordinate quarterly innovation session/showcase and present new/experimental concepts

Value Engineering, Operations Excellence and Continuous Improvement

Lead the improvement and optimisation of existing products to enhance margin, line efficiencies, quality, safety, and customer and consumer satisfaction

Develop and achieve a program of Value Engineering cost out projects annually.

Evaluate products and processes, and collate and analyse data, to identify and implement improvements and/or cost saving opportunities and/or more sustainable choices

Work with the Operations team to optimise how products run (speed, change overs, defects) to achieve line efficiency improvements, and how it is stored and transported to deliver warehousing and logistic benefits

Own & lead the R&D process identifying opportunities for process improvements and implement best practices to enhance product development capabilities.

Partner with at other Kinrise Sites, sharing best practice

Generate a Value Engineering programme of works for each FY

All initiatives deliver on planned benefit in planned timeframe

Attend daily Pulse meetings

Project Management & Leadership

Lead multiple projects simultaneously, ensuring timely and successful completion.

Work closely with cross-functional teams, including Marketing, Operations, Sales and Procurement, to ensure project objectives are met.

Establish and maintain collaborative relationships with external partners, such as suppliers and industry experts.

Provide regular updates and comprehensive reports to senior management and stakeholders.

Develop project timelines, communicating risks and mitigation plans and maintaining project records md updates

All projects launched on time, in full and to brief

Coordinate regular meetings with suppliers

Health, Safety, Environment and Quality (HSEQ)

Maintain a comprehensive understanding of, and ensure compliance with, relevant local and international regulatory requirements with regards to food safety regulations, applicable certifications, IP and product labelling/claims.

Adhere to internal food safety and other quality management processes and procedures

Ensure products are designed and used safely and meet the quality requirements of our customers and consumers across our end-to-end supply chain.

Prepare & maintain detailed documentation of product development processes, product specifications, policies and compliance records.

Actively contribute to the Kinrise Never Walk By practice, across all Snackfoods sites, ensuring compliance with HSEO standards and rules, ensuring injuries, incidents, hazards and illnesses are reported immediately to create a safe, healthy and sustainable workplace

Participate in and support Quality team during internal and external site audits

New products/product changes implemented do not lead to an increase in CPMU

Complete at least 1 ‘Never Walk By’ per month and raise at least 1 hazard per month.

Requirements

Skills and competencies:

Strong knowledge of food science and food processing technologies.

Experience with sensory evaluation and FSANZ code.

Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to work across internal and external stakeholders and collaborate effectively to drive and influence outcomes

Project management skills with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.

Excellent problem solving and analytical reasoning; solution orientated, able to manage uncertainty, risk and complexity with courage and proactive responsibility

Adaptable to changing priorities and able to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

Ability to deal with ambiguity and work in a lean, agile team environment

Results-driven with a strong sense of ownership and accountability.

Creative mindset - Able to think creatively and outside-the-box, explore limits and challenge the status quo

High attention to detail with excellent written and verbal communication skills

Proactive, autonomous ‘hands on’ approach

Team player with excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to foster collaborative relationships.

Good commercial acumen; P&L Savvy

Experience:

Minimum 5 years of research & development experience in the food industry, preferably in FMCG.

Proven track record in a fast-paced, commercially driven food manufacturing environment

Proven track record of successful product development and innovation

Qualifications:

Bachelor’s or Masters Degree in Food Science/Technology or related Science disciplines.

Why Join Us?

Kinrise is a fast paced, agile business that focuses on your talents and challenges you to perform at your best. An opportunity with us would mean:

An opportunity to work with leading Australian-made brands and products

An exciting role in a growing business with a great history and an ambitious growth agenda

Supportive and collaborative team culture

Kinrise is committed to creating an environment that welcomes all, celebrates our diversity in all its forms and fosters an environment of inclusion. We recognise that our unique differences are what sets us apart and how we succeed as a team. We are an equal opportunity employer.

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