Product Manager – Food & Innovation - #1663771

A little bit about Parsley Box  

We’ve established ourselves as one of the market leaders in the meal delivery category, promoting and supporting healthy ageing by making mealtimes for the over 65s easier and more enjoyable.

Our mission is to support healthy ageing and make Parsley Box the brand of choice for this demographic and our online presence is core to helping us achieve this.

What we're looking for

As the Product Manager – Food & Innovation, you will drive product innovation, manage end-to-end product development, and ensure the product range aligns with consumer trends, business goals, and quality standards. You will support the development of the product strategy and execute that strategy, managing supplier relationships, maintaining product quality and competitiveness in the market.

A little about you… 

You keep up with the latest trends in food and nutrition

You are naturally curious and want to understand why, and most importantly, why not? and like to challenge the status quo

You are proactive, confident and a great communicator. You enjoy working across multiple projects and look for opportunities to make a quick impact.

You'll be responsible for: 

Strategic Product Development

• Support the development and execution of the product strategy using customer insights, consumer trends, and internal market research to achieve business performance targets.
• Deliver strategic initiatives in line with agreed quarterly and annual timelines.
• Find market opportunities, new product extensions, and upgrades to expand the product range and enhance customer value.

Project Management & NPD

• Lead the end-to-end delivery of New Product Development (NPD) projects from concept through to trial approval, ensuring alignment with customer, brand, and regulatory standards.
• Work closely with the Technical Manager and senior leadership to ensure all projects meet quality, cost, and commercial performance goals.
• Manage all relevant documentation, including costings and approvals, and ensure project timelines are adhered to.
• Instigate EPD or product delists with the Technical Manager where current products do not meet the current product strategy.

Supplier Management

• Maintain strong working relationships with key suppliers to ensure innovation, supply security, and consistent quality.
• Conduct regular supplier reviews and site visits to develop a 12-month rolling innovation roadmap.

Market & Competitor Analysis

• Maintain strong market awareness through benchmarking and trend analysis to ensure competitiveness in the marketplace.
• Conduct competitor and wider-market gap analysis for NPD opportunities, pricing, and product positioning.
• Maximise product health credentials and lead health-related innovation where relevant.

Marketing & Communication Support

• Liaise with the marketing team to support product photography and ensure the accuracy of marketing materials.
• Provide the marketing team with product messaging in line with legislation e.g. nutritional values.
• Provide product insight and guidance for marketing campaigns and customer-facing content.

Reporting & Performance Tracking

• Track and report on product listings, range performance, and category insights to inform strategy and future development.

Experience & Skills required: 

Experience

• 7+ years in NPD or innovation within FMCG
• Strong commercial awareness
• Commercial negotiation experience
• Supplier management experience

Skills

• A degree or NVQ in Food Science, Food Technology or related discipline
• Great palate for tasting product 
• Ability to work autonomously and with a team  
• Excellent communication and organisational skills  
• Attention to detail and ability to troubleshoot 
• Ability to deal with many products, projects, and suppliers
• Ability to drive continuous improvement in area of expertise
• A passion for food and nutrition for the elderly consumer

What we offer:

• Salary up to £55,000 (depending on experience).
• 6% company pension contribution (you contribute 5%) to help you plan for your future.
• 33 days annual leave including public holidays. Annual leave increases by 1 day with after 2, 4 and 6 years’ service. 
• 2 wellbeing days per year to proactively support your physical and mental wellbeing. 
• Flexible working options including use of the office, work from home, part-time and flexible hours. 
• Life insurance at 2x salary. 
• Option to purchase additional annual leave, cycle to work and health screening through our salary sacrifice portal.
• Modern workspace with onsite parking, café, free gym access, changing rooms with drying lockers.
• Employee assistance helpline access for support at difficult or challenging times.

We’re actively building diverse and inclusive teams and welcome applications from everyone, including people of all ages. CVs are great, but we place more importance on who you are and how you can play your part in the success of Parsley Box. If you need any special assistance at any stage of our recruitment process, please just let us know and we’ll happily make any adjustments.