Product Developer

Rewarding role - Opportunity to significantly impact our customer experience
- Bring your curious mindset and customer centricity
- An opportunity to work and being part of our fresh produce

**Ready to make an impact?**

We’re looking for a to join our Own Brand team here in Aotearoa reporting to our Merchandise Manager. Joining our Product Development team you’ll take accountability for managing the product development activities in our Fresh Food category to bring innovative products to market in alignment with customer needs. You will have accountability across customer satisfaction, stakeholder collaboration and commercial growth.

**About the Role | Mō te Tūranga**
- Development of strategic plans, taking into account consumer and category insights; commercials and seasonality in order to ensure the launch of products that customers will love.
- Identify key suppliers, build NPD briefs and collaborate with suppliers to bring bakery product concepts to life.
- Lead and manage the critical path for each product ensuring first class execution on all product launches.
- Collaborate with key internal and external stakeholders including quality assurance; nutrition, packaging; commercial; responsible sourcing and design to ensure all aspects have been considered in the final product design.
- Active contribution to Agile ways of working to ensure delivery of biggest value projects
- Understanding of local and global supply base capabilities and identifying growth opportunities for Woolworths.
- Awareness and utilisation of market research, insights and product trends for innovative and strategic product development

**About You | Mōu**

To succeed in this role you will need to be a results focused individual who operates with an efficient work style, coupled with attention to detail, excellent communication skills and the ability to work to short deadlines.

If you’re the sort of individual who strives to always do the right thing for customers, team, our communities, and our business then we ought to connect.

To be successful in this position:

- An enthusiastic foodie with a proven track record of successfully delivering NPD strategy from ideation to concept and through to launch.
- An exceptional understanding and knowledge of food trends; ingredients; seasonality and range planning in order to influence and deliver to the business direction.
- Brimming with ideas and inspiration you will have experience in bringing products to market in order to truly delight our customers.
- An understanding and knowledge of food manufacturing and production processes.
- Tertiary Food qualification, min 3 year diploma, degree of similar in food industry (food science/technology; chef; hotel, food nutrition or related industry).
- Minimum 5 years experience in product development or experience in a relevant discipline within a complex/matrix environment.
- A love, passion and infectious enthusiasm for food, innovation and product.
- Strong understanding of product creation; componentry and cost makeup of goods
- Sensory evaluation and product benchmarking skills.
- Sound ability to represent the customer in all product decisions.
- Solid organisational and project management skills.
- Ability to proactively identify risks and overcome obstacles.

**Working with Woolworths NZ | Me mahi tahi tatou ki Woolworths NZ**

Our purpose is to make Kiwis' lives a little better every day.

We’re friendly, down-to-earth, and energetic - we work hard but we have a great time doing it, and we love what we do. There is plenty of scope for new ideas, lots of room for you to add value, and importantly, you’ll be working with a business that touches the lives of three million New Zealanders a week. We offer a diverse range of career opportunities across our ecosystem.

Countdown
Cartology, Vineonline & CountdownX
Primary Connect
Wholesale Distributors Limited (Fresh Choice)

We are proud to be a Work 180 endorsed employer for all women, view the great work we do here.

**Come as you are | Nau mai, whakatau mai**

We’re an equal opportunity employer and are committed to the principle of equal opportunity for all.

If you’re smart and good at what you do, let’s work together | Me mahi tahi tatou