The Company
Our client is a growing Australian food manufacturer investing heavily in innovation, product development and manufacturing capability.
With a strong focus on quality and craftsmanship, this is an exciting opportunity to join the business during a period of growth and play a key role in bringing new baked goods to market.
The Role
Reporting into senior leadership, this NPD Bakery Lead will own NPD from initial concept through to commercialisation.
This is a hands-on role suited to someone with a genuine background in artisanal baking or patisserie who enjoys formulation, trials, scale-up and turning ideas into commercially viable products.
Key responsibilities will include:
Leading end-to-end NPD from concept through to commercialisation
Developing and refining new bakery formulations
Conducting laboratory, kitchen and production-scale trials
Managing formulation, ingredients and product specifications
Coordinating sensory evaluation, testing and shelf-life trials
Supporting product scale-up into manufacturing
Working closely with Quality, Regulatory, Manufacturing and Commercial teams
Liaising with suppliers and external technical partners
Ensuring products meet food safety, quality and regulatory requirements
Troubleshooting technical and formulation challenges
Maintaining accurate technical documentation
Identifying opportunities for product innovation and improvement
This is an chance to create and influence new products rather than simply maintain an existing portfolio.
About You
The ideal candidate will bring:
A genuine background in artisanal baked goods or patisserie, ideally trained or having come up through a bakery or patisserie environment
Proven NPD experience within food manufacturing or bakery production
Strong formulation and product development capability




Experience taking products through development, scale-up and commercialisation
Sound understanding of bakery ingredients and manufacturing processes
Experience with trials, sensory assessment and/or shelf-life testing
Strong knowledge of food safety, quality and regulatory requirements
Experience working with suppliers and external technical partners
Strong project management and stakeholder skills
Ability to work autonomously and collaboratively
Above all, we're looking for someone with the right personal attributes: a genuine team player who is easy going, coachable and open to feedback, with a demonstrated history of strong tenure in previous roles.
This is a business that values loyalty and longevity as much as technical skill, so a stable career background will be highly regarded.
Experience across artisan breads, viennoiserie, pastry, cakes or other baked formulated products will be highly regarded.
Most importantly, we're looking for someone passionate about bakery innovation who enjoys taking products from concept through to the production floor, and who will fit seamlessly into a close-knit, collaborative team.
Why This Opportunity?
Take ownership of meaningful NPD projects
Work across the full product development lifecycle
Influence future product ranges
Collaborate with senior stakeholders and technical specialists
Play a key role in a growing, innovation-focused manufacturing environment
If you're an experienced Bakery or Patisserie professional with a strong tenure history, looking for a role where you can develop rather than simply maintain, this could be an excellent next step.
Contact
Please call Eugene Lane-Mullins on ************ or email ****** to discuss this opportunity or other specialist Food Manufacturing and Technical opportunities.
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📌 Npd Bakery Lead (Melbourne)
🏢 Aspect Personnel
📍 Melbourne