Melbourne | Food Manufacturing
Build products. Build customer relationships. Build the next growth platform. We are partnering with an established Australian
agri-food business
that is continuing to invest in its value-added manufacturing capabilities and is looking to appoint a commercially minded
Technical & NPD Sales Manager
.
This is a unique opportunity for a
Food Technologist, Food Scientist or technical product development professional
who enjoys being close to both the product and the customer.
This isn't a traditional NPD role where projects are handed over to Sales once they're developed. You'll sit at the intersection of
technical, product development, manufacturing and commercial
, helping identify what customers need, developing the solution and then working alongside the sales team to take it to market.
About the Role:
The role will have an approximate
***** focus
:
60% – New Product Development & Innovation
You'll be responsible for:
Identifying customer, category and market opportunities and translating these into a prioritised NPD pipeline
Managing NPD and product renovation projects from concept through to commercial launch
Developing products that are technically viable, commercially attractive and capable of being manufactured at scale
Leading bench, pilot and production trials
Working closely with Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, Procurement and Finance to ensure products are commercially and operationally viable
Supporting product costing, margin expectations, capacity requirements and commercial feasibility
Managing specifications, formulations, shelf-life, allergen, nutritional and regulatory requirements
Identifying opportunities for product optimisation, cost reduction, process improvement and current applications
Managing stage-gate processes, project timelines and launch readiness
Building relationships with external technical, ingredient, packaging, laboratory and research partners
40% – Technical Sales & Customer Development
Working closely with the Domestic Sales Manager, you'll also play a hands‐on role in




bringing NPD to market
.
This will include:
Engaging with existing and prospective manufacturing customers to understand their technical and commercial requirements
Attending customer meetings, presentations, product reviews and trials
Providing technical expertise and application support throughout the sales process
Translating technical product capabilities into clear commercial value propositions
Supporting customer proposals, tenders, samples and specifications
Identifying opportunities to introduce new products into existing customer accounts
Helping the sales team identify new applications, customers and markets for the developing product portfolio
Supporting customers through product trials, approvals and commercialisation
Maintaining strong relationships with customers throughout the development and launch process
About You:
We're looking for someone who combines
genuine food technical expertise with strong commercial and customer-facing capability
.
You will ideally have:
A tertiary qualification in
Food Science, Food Technology, Product Development, Chemistry, Nutrition or a related discipline
Demonstrated experience in
NPD, technical commercialisation or applications development within food manufacturing, ingredients or FMCG
Experience taking food products from
customer brief/concept through trials, scale-up and commercial launch
A strong understanding of food safety, specifications, allergens, nutrition, shelf life, labelling and regulatory requirements
Practical experience conducting bench, pilot or factory trials
Experience working within a food manufacturing environment and understanding what makes a product commercially and operationally viable




Strong customer-facing skills and the ability to confidently communicate technical information to commercial stakeholders
An understanding of
costings, margins, MOQs, capacity and investment considerations
Strong project management and stakeholder management skills
The ability to challenge a brief where something isn't technically, operationally or commercially achievable
A pragmatic, solutions-focused approach and the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
Experience across
ingredients, value-added food manufacturing, bakery, confectionery, plant-based, beverages, dairy alternatives or similar categories
would be highly regarded.
Why this opportunity?
This is an opportunity to take ownership of a
genuine innovation pipeline
, rather than simply managing individual NPD projects.
You'll have the opportunity to influence
what gets developed, why it gets developed and ultimately how it is commercialised
, while remaining closely connected to customers and the market.
You'll work across the full business — from Sales and customers through to Operations, Quality, Procurement, Supply Chain, Finance and manufacturing — giving you genuine exposure to the commercialisation of new food products.You will alsolead cross-functional NPD workstreams while keeping the customer need and commercial outcome central to development.
The role is based in
Melbourne
, with monthly travel to the company's regional processing and manufacturing facility and customer sites. There will also be
interstate travel as required but infrequent
.
Interested?
If you're a
Food Technologist/Food Scientist who has developed products but also enjoys getting in front of customers and seeing those products commercialised
, we'd like to hear from you.
This role would suit someone who wants to move beyond purely technical NPD and take greater ownership of the
commercial journey from customer need → product development → customer approval → commercial launch
.
#J-*****-Ljbffr

📌 Technical Sales/Commercial Npd Manager (Melbourne)
🏢 Blackbook Executive Pty
📍 Melbourne