Job Description
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
.
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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.
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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: n
The role will have an approximate
***** focus
:
60% – Current Product Development & Innovation
You'll be responsible for: n
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Identifying customer, category and market opportunities and translating these into a prioritised NPD pipeline
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Managing NPD and product renovation projects from concept through to commercial launch
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Developing products that are technically viable, commercially attractive and capable of being manufactured at scale
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Leading bench, pilot and production trials
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Working closely with Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, Procurement and Finance to ensure products are commercially and operationally viable
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Supporting product costing, margin expectations, capacity requirements and commercial feasibility
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Managing specifications, formulations, shelf-life, allergen, nutritional and regulatory requirements
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Identifying opportunities for product optimisation, cost reduction, process improvement and new applications
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Managing stage-gate processes, project timelines and launch readiness
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Building relationships with external technical, ingredient, packaging, laboratory and research partners
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40% – Technical Sales & Customer Development n
Working closely with the Domestic Sales Manager, you'll also play a hands‐on role in




bringing NPD to market
.
This will include: n
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Engaging with existing and prospective manufacturing customers to understand their technical and commercial requirements
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Attending customer meetings, presentations, product reviews and trials
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Providing technical expertise and application support throughout the sales process
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Translating technical product capabilities into clear commercial value propositions
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Supporting customer proposals, tenders, samples and specifications
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Identifying opportunities to introduce new products into existing customer accounts
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Helping the sales team identify new applications, customers and markets for the developing product portfolio
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Supporting customers through product trials, approvals and commercialisation
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Maintaining strong relationships with customers throughout the development and launch process
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About You: n
We're looking for someone who combines
genuine food technical expertise with strong commercial and customer-facing capability
.
You will ideally have: n
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A tertiary qualification in
Food Science, Food Technology, Product Development, Chemistry, Nutrition or a related discipline
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Demonstrated experience in
NPD, technical commercialisation or applications development within food manufacturing, ingredients or FMCG
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Experience taking food products from
customer brief/concept through trials, scale-up and commercial launch
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A strong understanding of food safety, specifications, allergens, nutrition, shelf life, labelling and regulatory requirements
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Practical experience conducting bench, pilot or factory trials
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Experience working within a food manufacturing environment and understanding what makes a product commercially and operationally viable
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Strong customer-facing skills and the ability to confidently communicate technical information to commercial stakeholders
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An understanding of
costings, margins, MOQs, capacity and investment considerations
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Strong project management and stakeholder management skills
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The ability to challenge a brief where something isn't technically, operationally or commercially achievable
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A pragmatic, solutions-focused approach and the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
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Experience across
ingredients, value-added food manufacturing, bakery, confectionery, plant-based, beverages, dairy alternatives or similar categories
would be highly regarded.
Why this opportunity? n
This is an opportunity to take ownership of a
genuine innovation pipeline
, rather than simply managing individual NPD projects.
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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.
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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.
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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
.
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Interested?
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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.
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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
.
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