Food Development Manager

JOB PURPOSE

Drives the development & successful launch of GAIL's food, ensuring all products are high-quality, commercially viable & aligned with the brand ethos.

Acts as the bridge between concept, operations & market delivery, bringing food concepts to life efficiently and supporting operational readiness across the business.

ABOUT THE ROLE

• Drive the creation and launch of new GAIL's food products, ensuring every item is high-quality, commercially viable and aligned with our brand ethos.
• Bring concepts to life by connecting creative ideas with operational delivery, ensuring products move smoothly from kitchen bench to bakery shelves.
• Enable seamless, well-executed launches through strong cross-functional collaboration and clear development processes.
• Conduct quarterly market reviews, food trawls and competitor pricing analysis to inform strategy.
• Act as the key liaison for NPD ranges, ensuring smooth collaboration across teams.
• Champion the food message across support teams to strengthen commercial understanding.
• Work with the Head of Food and Head of Food Concepts to elevate the food story in seasonal launches and strategic projects.
• Represent the food team at GATE sessions, clearly communicating project status and needs.
• Work closely with procurement, suppliers and partners to keep decisions timely and effective.
• Lead the full end-to-end development of new food products, from initial concept to launch.
• Collaborate with the creative studio to shape ideas and produce compelling product briefs.
• Partner closely with The Bread Factory's branded buyer on all third-party product lines for GAIL's.
• Manage sample submissions and capture all commercial, nutritional and ingredient information.
• Own range sign-off and GATE approval stages, confirming launch ranges and delists.
• Support the creation of video scripts and visual merchandising assets for new launches.
• Track development timelines to keep teams aligned and projects on schedule.
• Create and own packaging briefs that meet operational, sustainability and brand standards.
• Sign off all new launch POS.

ARE YOU THE MISSING INGREDIENT

• Highly Collaborative team member with all our support teams
• Bringing teams together to move projects forward, never losing the initial concept
• Excellent communicator both verbally and written
• High level of attention to detail
• Committed to a job well done
• Excellent presentation and facilitation skills

A love for food

BENEFITS BAKED IN

• Free food and drink when working
• 50% off food and drink when not working
• 33 days holiday (inclusive of bank holidays)
• Discounts and Savings from high-street retailers and restaurants
• 24 hour GP service
• Cycle to work scheme
• Maternity leave (enhanced)
• Electric car scheme
• Buy & Sell holiday
• Development programmes for you to RISE with GAIL's