New Product Development Technologist

Overview

**Company:** Dawn Meats

**Location:** Carroll’s Cross, Kilmacthomas, Co. Waterford

**Position Type:** Full time/Permanent

Dawn Meats are looking to recruit an NPD technologist to join the team at our Carroll’s Cross processing facility near Kilmacthomas in Co. Waterford

**Role Summary:**

To support the development, optimisation, and launch of customer-focused retail‑ready products within the packing operations of the business. The role ensures all new and existing products meet customer expectations, technical standards, commercial targets, and operational feasibility.

Responsibilities

**The successful candidate will be based at our Carroll’s Cross facility and will be responsible for:**

• Support the creation, testing, and refinement of new retail products in line with customer briefs, category insights, and market trends.
• Prepare and run product trials, ensuring accurate sample preparation and documentation.
• Coordinate with commercial, technical, and operations teams to ensure concepts can be scaled and delivered consistently.
• Conduct benchmark assessments and sensory evaluations.
• Generate and maintain accurate product specifications for retail customers.
• Ensure all recipes, raw materials, labels, and pack formats meet food safety, legal, and retailer requirements.
• Apply technical and regulatory knowledge consistent with principles described in (e.g., HACCP, GMP, raw material handling, and NPD/EPD processes).
• Verify artwork, nutritional data, allergens, and claims prior to submission.
• Support gate‑to‑gate NPD workflow by tracking tasks, timelines, risks, and approvals.
• Collaborate with wider NPD & Technical teams during cross‑functional reviews.
• Record trial outputs, costings, and factory feedback to inform commercial viability and operational readiness.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives in the packing process and overall NPD system.
• Liaise with retail customers (e.g., through email threads such as Tesco communications) to clarify requirements and update progress.
• Prepare submission packs for customer presentations, benchmarking sessions, and retailer documentation needs.
• Work closely with commercial leads, Technical, Operations, Quality, and Procurement to align priorities.
• Provide hands‑on support during line trials, first productions, and changeovers.
• Ensure accurate translation of product briefs into packing instructions, labels, and factory paperwork.
• Troubleshoot product or process issues, escalating findings through agreed reporting structures.

Qualifications

**Skills, Knowledge & Experience**

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• Understanding of food safety, HACCP, micro and chemistry fundamentals, and food legislation.
• Knowledge of retail customer standards and expectations.
• Strong sensory evaluation and benchmarking capability.
• Excellent specification writing accuracy and attention to detail.
• Clear communication skills – written, verbal, and cross‑functional.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects.
• Competence with data analysis and documentation.
• Ideally 1–3 years in NPD, Technical, or related food production roles.
• Experience working with retailers and/or within a high‑volume packing environment desirable.
• Familiarity with workflow tools or NPD systems.

**Key Relationships**

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• NPD team members
• Technical & Quality teams
• Commercial & Category teams
• Packing Operations & Planning
• Retail customer technical/commercial contacts

**Success Measures**

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• On-time, on-cost launch of new and improved products
• Accuracy and compliance of specifications and artwork
• Successful trial execution and first‑production performance
• Customer satisfaction and minimal technical queries
• Positive contribution to innovation pipeline and packing efficiency

INDLP