New Product Development Specialist

Come and join the leading #avoexperts Westfalia Fruit is a leading multinational supplier of fresh fruit and related value-added products to global markets. Through our vertically-integrated supply chain we grow, source, ripen, pack, process and market quality avocadoes & fresh produce
- 365 days a year & across the globe. With the largest avocado-growing footprint in the world, we are recognised as the leading #avoexpertsand considered as the supplier of choice to both retail & wholesale customers whom we serve from sales offices in the UK, Europe, North America, Latin America & Southern Africa. We’re looking for a New Product Development Specialist (Avocados) to join our team in Wingene, Belgium. We are seeking an agile, results-driven Interim NPD Specialist for an immediate 3 to 4-month contract to lead the technical execution and commercial scale-up of key innovations within our premium fresh produce and avocado portfolio. In this fast-paced role, you will act as the vital technical bridge between R&D and manufacturing. We need a "floor-ready" professional who can immediately step into our facilities, run industrial plant trials, and successfully transition fresh fruit concepts from bench-top formulation to full commercial launch. - Responsibilities include:
- Lead the end-to-end R&D lifecycle for new products and line extensions from initial concept to commercial launch.
- Develop and refine formulations, ingredients, and processing methodologies to optimize product quality, flavor, texture, and stability.
- Conduct rigorous shelf-life testing, sensory evaluations, and quality assessments to ensure all new products meet regulatory and safety standards.
- Serve as the technical expert on manufacturing processes, plant equipment, and facility capabilities required for new product lines.
- Optimize production lines and processing parameters to maximize manufacturing yield, efficiency, and consistency.
- Troubleshoot technical issues hands-on on the production floor, working directly with operations teams to resolve quality or scale-up challenges.
- Design, test, and validate functional packaging solutions that protect product integrity, enhance shelf life, and meet sustainability goals.
- Partner with engineering and external suppliers to select, install, and calibrate packaging machinery and specialized technologies.
- Integrate effective preservation methods and barrier technologies to ensure food safety and maintain product freshness over time.
- Coordinate cross-functional teams across Quality Assurance, Operations, Engineering, Procurement, and Marketing to ensure seamless project execution.
- Define project scopes, timelines, trial protocols, and key milestones for all product development initiatives.
- Manage industrial-scale plant trials, documenting processing parameters, mass balances, and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the final transition to commercial production. Requirements:
- End-to-End NPD: Track record of managing the full lifecycle of new formulations and line extensions in the fresh produce or fruit processing sector.
- Perishables Expertise: Strong understanding of raw material handling, perishables preservation, and shelf-life optimization.
- Technical Processing: Hands-on experience utilizing specialized processing equipment, advanced packaging, and preservation technologies.
- Factory-Floor Execution: Proven success running physical plant trials, scaling up from pilot kitchen to main line, and troubleshooting parameters alongside operations.
- Cross-Functional Leadership: Strong project management skills to coordinate timelines seamlessly across QA, Engineering, Operations, and Procurement.
- SOP & Quality Focus: Ability to define clear ingredient functionality, processing parameters, and robust SOPs.
- Rapid Impact: Commercial mindset with the adaptability to embed immediately into an ongoing pipeline and deliver market-ready Benefits We value your efforts, and we show it not only with words but also with actions.
- You receive an attractive salary, tailored to your education and experience.
- You work full-time with flexible hours.
- The extensive package of extra-legal benefits includes many vacation days, hospitalization and group insurance, a mobile phone, meal vouchers, and eco vouchers.
- You get a versatile job with impact, a lot of independence, and growth opportunities.
- You can take home dips, avocado bowls, and many other avocado treats.
- Even outside the workplace, the guacsquad is a close-knit and fun group. From the annual team building to jogging in the forests of Wingene, playing padel, or the legendary football tournaments. And of course, the fun lunch breaks.
- We’re an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to age, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, family or parental status, national origin, or veteran