Product Developer

Description

Job ID

41001013

Job Title

Specialist - NPD

Job Function

Innovation

Job Family

NPD/Packaging

Job Level

7

Career Stream

Individual Contributor

Position examples

• NPD Specialist
• Product Developer Specialist

Level definition

• Executes operational plans and/or delivers projects with a direct impact on functional success.
• Challenges processes and practices identifying opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Responsible for achievement of operational targets or delivery of service standards within their own job area or function.
• Identifies and solves difficult and sometimes complex issues/problems without precedent and modifies, enhances and/or adapts established processes and work methods.
• Works with limited supervision, interacting with stakeholders and acts as important interface with other areas within the function or units.

Key responsibilities

• Understands commercial challenges and creates new commercial opportunities by turning concepts based on local consumer and shopper insights into new products.
• Supports cost/value engineering of new and existing products by working with local and global marketers, suppliers, supply chain and other stakeholders.
• Utilizes foundational knowledge of food and/or dairy science, ingredients, and recipe development to optimize product development.
• Applies expertise in food and dairy processing to develop and deliver new products, considering the impact on packaged goods and implementing them effectively across dairies/sites.
• Identifies and creates innovation opportunities aligned with consumer preferences, feasibility, and with strategic and financial viability for Arla.
• Significantly contributes to product development projects, ensuring smooth implementation and finalization of recipes, quality assurance, and legal compliance.
• Works closely with commercial teams in NPD projects, providing technical expertise and support.
• Plans, implements, evaluates, and documents experiments in the lab, pilot, and production scale.
• Runs trouble-shooting of product quality issues and actively participates in pilot plant testing of new processes and products.
• Supports feasibility studies for supply chain optimization, including recipe finalization/optimization, cost savings, quality assurance, and legal assessment.
• Contributes actively to product and process knowledge, particularly regarding changes in production lines.
• Actively participates in consumer, competitor & product research including delivering prototypes, competitor benchmarking including sensory, chemical and physical analyses.
• Establishes and maintains networks internally and externally, developing knowledge, understanding, and relationships for future collaboration, including suppliers of raw materials and equipment as a way to develop and inspire self and others and deliver better products.
• Identifies opportunities for new NPD, cost reduction, and process improvement in the dairy category.
• Utilizes relevant digital tools for product development and recipe optimization and project documentation.

Educational background

• Education at Diploma, Bachelor's or Master's level within food/dairy science and technology, or similar or applicable experience from the food or dairy industry.
• 5-6 years of product development experience, preferably within the food or dairy industry or similar experience in food manufacturing.

Competencies