Please Note: The application deadline for this job has now passed.
Job Introduction
We are looking for a passionate and innovative Food Team Lead to champion world-class recipe design at Charlie Bigham's. In this key role, you will take full responsibility for the re-development of our existing recipes and enhancement of processes. From identifying improvement opportunities, developing new recipes, and managing trials, to successfully launching these creations, your role will ensure we continue to deliver high-quality, delicious meals. If you thrive on creativity, consistency, and innovation, we’d love to hear from you.
Role Responsibility
Existing Food Development
- Play a lead role in consistently delivering delicious food in accordance with our food and brand values
- Create, manage & deliver to time on all critical paths for all EFD briefs
- Brief the chefs on new projects, ensuring they have clear direction and understand the key timescales on the critical path
- Prioritise chef work loads to meet required brief dead-lines
- Consider production implications for all food concepts and ensure the chefs take these into consideration when developing food.
- Work alongside the New Raw Material Manager to source new raw materials to ensure we get raw material quality right at the beginning.
- Cost all EFD development ensuring it meets the margin targets and costs are signed off.
- Identify product benchmarks and taste against all relevant food concepts to ensure we are always developing best in class food.
- Taste food over its shelf-life from fresh / frozen ensuring consistent high quality at each stage of the product life
- Deliver professional food presentations that show detail of recipe, ingredients, cooking method & key rationale for launch etc.
Directly feed into the Gatekeeping process with accurate data and information for all projects, working with Head of Food and marketing to ensure projects get signed off, right first time.
Process
- Own best in class process development for the London kitchen
- Develop and maintain a clear strategic plan that embeds Process Improvement across the kitchen
- Manage all development critical path timelines and site specific projects in alignment with NFD, CI teams & Site GM
- Work to and further develop NFD procedures ensuring BRC audit ready at all times
- Ensure any raw material changes are managed through site, and appropriately reviewed and trialled, with support from New Raw Material Manager and Technical
- Attend NFD Meetings, leading communication of all process activity.
- Manage the Recipe Change Process for London
- Run pre & post trial/activity meetings with all relevant stakeholders, delivering clear outcomes, recommendations and actions with defined timelines.
- Identify areas of improvements to deliver delicious with an effective and repeatable process through Process Quality audits and other activities.
- Ensure accurate team completion all trial reports detailing all yields, associated labour and relevant quality measures eg. Viscosity
Communication
- Work hand in hand with NFD Manager to ensure site wide activities are managed effectively through the right forums
- Manage regular and effective communication with wider site & central teams
- Ensure collaborative working with the ops and supply chain teams, particularly around trial and launch activities.
- Drive food engagement and a quality first approach with our production and technical teams and beyond.
- Deliver informative and accurate site handovers, ensuring post-launch success.
People
- Lead the team of a Technologist & Placement Student, to deliver the trial programme and improvement plans
- Work closely with EFD chef to deliver recipe development
- Conduct regular 1:1, appraisal & performance reviews with team
Projects
- Work alone or as part of wider project teams to deliver to agreed goals
- Post Launch Reviews of all projects and activities
- Adhoc projects as required
The Ideal Candidate
Qualifications/Experience:
- Proven experience managing others
- Extensive Process Management experience
- Experience with either NPD or EPD programmes
- Experience within grocery / chilled ready meals desirable
Key Skills:
- Strong project manager
- A confident communicator
- Customer facing
- Numerate with experience of costing systems
- Organised, able to manage and prioritise multiple tasks
- Focused with excellent attention to detail
- Production competent
- Good interpersonal skills
- Great Team player
Key Attributes:
- Passionate about great food
- Positive ‘Can Do’ attitude
- Enthusiastic
- Full of drive & energy
- Enjoys being part of a team
- Creative and Innovative