Join Riva Foods and help bring new food products to life
Riva Foods is a well-established food manufacturer with ambitious plans to grow, innovate and strengthen its capabilities. We are looking for an enthusiastic and creative NPD / Kitchen Assistant to join our team and play an important role in the early stages of our New Product Development (NPD) process.
Reporting to the NPD Manager, you will support the development of new and exciting products from initial concept through to factory launch. This is a hands-on role, ideal for someone with food manufacturing or culinary experience who is looking to build a career within NPD.
What you'll be doing
- Generate product samples and support recipe formulation and development.
- Source raw materials, ensuring they meet customer, quality and regulatory requirements.
- Liaise with relevant departments to ensure a smooth transition from concept through to launch.
- Conduct product benchmarking, market reviews and consumer research to identify trends and opportunities.
- Support the NPD team during factory trials, gathering key production data including throughput, machine settings, labour requirements, wastage, weights, pH and temperatures.
- Help manage NPD critical paths, ensuring projects remain on track and customer deadlines are achieved.
- Coordinate shelf-life testing, organoleptic assessments and nutritional analysis.
- Maintain accurate records and provide concise, clear data and project updates.
- Support customer innovation sessions and roadshows, with opportunities to travel across the UK.
About you
We're looking for someone who is creative, organised and passionate about food, with a genuine interest in developing new products.
Essential:
- Previous experience working within food manufacturing, or a culinary/kitchen background.
- A good understanding of Food Safety and HACCP principles.
- Strong attention to detail and excellent organisational skills.
- The ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines.
- Confident communication skills and the ability to work effectively as part of a team.
- An awareness of consumer trends and what makes products successful in the market.
- The ability to collect, interpret and communicate information accurately.
A great opportunity to start or develop your NPD career
This role would suit someone looking to take their first step into the food industry or move into NPD, with the opportunity to gain valuable hands-on experience across product development, kitchen trials, raw materials, factory production and customer presentations.
If you're enthusiastic about food, naturally curious, commercially aware and excited by the idea of helping turn new product concepts into reality, we'd love to hear from you.
Pay: £12.71-£14.57 per hour
Expected hours: 40.0 per week
Work Location: In person
