Jobs, fresher vacancy - NEW Product Development Assistant – Maternity Cover Starting Jan 2026 • Diss

Company: Gressingham Foods LTD

Diss

Gressingham Foods are the UK’s leading duck grower and manufacturer. Based in Redgrave, Suffolk.Gressingham have an opening to recruit into their New Product Development team and would like to give the opportunity for a New Product Development Assistant / Technician to work in a small fast-paced team to develop and learn. The successful candidate will be an integral member of the NPD team developing new Poultry products. This person will provide support to the NPD team and other departments during all stages of development from kitchen concept to launch. This role is office based in Redgrave 30 hrs per week across Mon – Friday between 7am – 6pm. Happy to be flexible to what suits the successful candidate. Pay Rate: £13.65 per hourThe Role:Day to day management of New Product Development Kitchens ensuring they are to the required hygiene standard, tidy and organised.Preparation of product concept samples for customer presentations, repeat samples for customer reviews and required samples for PR and Photography requests. Intake and management of all new ingredients arriving for the new product development.Liasing with ingredients suppliers.Help with the updating of internal paperwork, updating recipes, cooking trials etcAssist in the development of new product cooking instructions, then cooking validations.Liaising with Factory Production, Distribution, Technical regarding Raw material requirements, incoming and outgoing samples.Entering many areas of the factory daily, collecting meat/ingredients, working with production on trials, organization on development products in cold storage. Assistance with the organization of factory trials, (scale up from kitchen concept).Shopping for market reviews, customer presentations and visitor lunches.Organising of the diary for the customer sample schedulePossible support off site at customer presentationsAll relevant training will be given.Busy days full of variety, predominantly on your feet.The PersonExperience of working within a professional kitchen or catering environmentGood knowledge and understanding of a factory environment – not essential.Good written and verbal communication skillsAbility to work in a fast paced ever changing environment with a large range of projects.Self-motivated, enthusiastic, and quick to learn.Able to multitask on a large variety of tasks and channeling in priority order.Full driver’s license required - ESSENTIAL.A passion for food… everything foodConfident CookPolite, professional, Self-motivated, personable & effective communicator at all levelsGood organization skills Team player.PC Literate with knowledge of Excel, Power point etcBubbly and EnergeticHappy to Learn, not afraid to give it a go. Benefits include:• Reduced cost staff shop• Private counselling support services• Auto enrolment Pension available• Subsidised “Wild Duck Canteen” serving hot food and tasty snacks• Staff and family events• Monthly Employee Draw• Long Service Awards• “Freebie Fridays”