Product Developer - Food

At WHSmith our people are at the heart of everything we do. They are the ones that go the extra mile for our customers, the ones that enable our growth. That’s why our Commercial team is passionate about creating an environment where people can be creative and trailblazing in order to do their best work. The Product Developer has a fundamental role in developing our product proposition. They will Lead new product development across food to go categories including sandwiches, hot food, bakery, snacking, and drinks and translate trend, consumer, and competitor insight into compelling product briefs and range proposals.In addition the Product Developer will also manage the full development cycle from brief through to listing, including concept creation, supplier briefing, tasting, costing, and launch.What you will be doing:Drive innovation in line with seasonal calendars, NPD windows, and trading priorities.Identify gaps in the current range and proactively bring forward ideas to trading and buying stakeholders.Act as the day-to-day product development lead for a defined set of supplier partners, including food to go manufacturers and foodservice providers.Brief suppliers clearly and commercially, balancing quality ambition with margin requirements.Build and maintain strong working relationships with suppliers, including regular site visits and kitchen sessions.Collaborate closely with buying, quality, operations, and marketing to ensure seamless delivery of new products.Support sourcing activity and contribute to supplier reviews and tender processes where required.Ensure all products meet WHSmith’s technical and quality standards, including allergen compliance, labelling requirements, and nutritional’s.Work alongside the technical team to resolve quality issues and manage specification sign-off.Maintain up-to-date product specs, artwork briefs, and development trackersEnsure all products are developed in line with current UK food legislation and WHSmith’s own policie