Product Development Controller

Overview of role

Location: Poole, Dorset

Love turning great ideas into products that consumers truly enjoy?

We're looking for a Product Development Controller to lead the future of product innovation at Ryvita. This is an exciting opportunity to shape both new and existing products for one of the UK's most iconic food brands. Reporting to the Managing Director, you'll lead our product development team and take ownership of the end-to-end development process, from insight and concept creation through to launch, ensuring every product is technically robust, commercially viable and loved by consumers.

Working at the heart of the business, you'll collaborate with teams across Marketing, Operations, Technical, Procurement and Supply Chain to bring innovation to life while continuously improving our existing range. You'll play a key role in driving product quality, packaging development, regulatory compliance and successful product launches, helping Ryvita deliver products that stand out in the market and support our ambitious growth plans.

Key Accountabilities

Key Accountabilities

• Lead new product development (NPD) and existing product development (EPD) from concept through to launch and post-launch optimisation.
• Drive continuous improvement in product quality, performance, packaging and consumer satisfaction across the portfolio.
• Lead, develop and coach the Product Development team, creating a high-performance culture with clear accountability and delivery.
• Work cross-functionally to ensure products meet consumer, brand, technical, legislative and commercial requirements while delivering successful launches and long-term business growth.

The Right Person

If you share our values...
Keep it simple - You cut through complexity, make clear decisions and focus energy on what moves the needle.
Work together - You lead with transparency, build strong relationships and foster trust across your team and the wider business.
Make it happen - You take accountability, act with pace and deliver on your commitments, even when the challenges are big.
Be the best we can be - You bring curiosity, a growth mindset and a drive for continuous improvement — for yourself and your team.

And you have the following skills and experiences....

• Have strong food product development, innovation or R&D experience, with a proven track record of bringing products successfully to market.
• Combine technical expertise with commercial awareness, making decisions that balance consumer needs, quality and business performance.
• Be an inspiring people leader who can develop talent, build capability and create a high-performing team culture.
• Be highly collaborative, building strong relationships across functions to deliver results and make things happen.
• Be curious, consumer-focused and driven by continuous improvement, always looking for opportunities to innovate and raise standards.

We can offer....

• Competitive Salary and Car Allowance
• Bonus Scheme (up to 15%)
• Pension Scheme – up to 10% employer contributions
• Flexible work culture
• Buy holiday scheme
• Discounted products
• Health Cash Plan
• Career opportunities - ABF group employs 128,000 employees worldwide.
• Discounts on over 900 retailers on our discount platform
• Generous family leave policy
• Group Cycle to work scheme
• Free Parking

We want to ensure the recruitment process works for everyone. If you require a reasonable adjustment during the recruitment process, please email [email protected] to discuss these adjustments.

Apply now and let's see what we can do together!

Learn more at www.ryvita.com or follow us on LinkedIn for vacancies.