Product Development Assistant (6 Month Fixed Term Contract)

Job description

Job Description:

M&S Food is changing and fast. We are transforming our M&S Food business to be more relevant, more often to more people. Given the scale of the opportunity ahead of us there has never been a more exciting time to join our business.

Reporting into your Head of Product Development you will assist the product development team in formulating, directing and delivering commercial product development for customers in line with category and project plans and business strategy.

This is a 6 month fixed term opportunity.

Key accountabilities and measures

·  Examine the marketplace and competition to keep up to date with trends in foods, lifestyle, packaging and ingredients that influence the customer, market and potential product direction supported with regular reporting to product development team
·  Understanding of M&S and competitor product categories and the products within them - covering existing M&S range and the retail competition
·  Assist in delivering the stage gate process, managing all product samples, both incoming and outgoing, product information for photographic shoots, quality benchmarking, supplier meetings, press requests, travel tests and product sampling
·  Collate product information, samples and build product displays to support all internal events, including category reviews and product forums, and all external events, including conferences and press shows.
·  Support the product development team in creating and coordinating presentations, accurate and timely management information, range planning documents and competitor & directional insight.
·  Manage, coordinate and report accurate management information for internal and external benchmarking, tried and tested, press coverage and awards. Maintain up to date information for Trading area and present findings every quarter
·  Deliver accurate product and category information relating to product and project requirements in a timely manner to multi-channel teams.
·  Co-ordinate product nominations for all food awards, Press and Marketing opportunities across the Trading area
·  Fully conversant with M&S systems to ensure new products are delivered against the relevant critical paths
·  Continue to develop a direct and positive relationship with internal and external stakeholders, working collaboratively to deliver results

Key skills

·  Highly organised at managing sources of information, systems and processes
·  IT skills in PowerPoint, Excel and Word
·  Automated NPD systems
·  Positive, Proactive and motivated mindset

MSFC19

MSFPD19

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