Product Development

Product Development professionals lead the creation and launch of new products, from initial concept through to retailer-ready execution. In FMCG and consumer goods businesses, this typically includes formulation, costings, supplier collaboration, packaging development, technical validation and commercial viability assessment.

They work cross-functionally with marketing, supply chain, procurement and commercial teams to ensure innovation is delivered on time, on cost and in line with brand strategy.

Product Development (often referred to as NPD – New Product Development) focuses on innovation, reformulation and bringing new products to market. Technical roles focus on compliance, quality assurance, regulatory standards, food safety and product integrity.

In growth-stage businesses, these responsibilities may overlap. As organisations scale, Product Development and Technical functions typically become more specialised and structured.

Typical UK salary ranges are:

Product Development / NPD Manager: £45,000–£65,000 + bonus
Senior NPD Manager / Innovation Lead: £65,000–£90,000 + bonus
Head of Product Development / Innovation Director: £90,000–£130,000 + bonus + LTIP
Compensation varies depending on category complexity, regulatory requirements, team structure, international exposure and the scale of the innovation pipeline. To provide an accurate market benchmark, it’s important to understand the specific technical scope and commercial responsibility of the role.

Lime Talent also provides tailored FMCG salary benchmarking support to help businesses structure competitive and strategically aligned reward packages.

Employers typically look for:

Proven experience launching products into UK retail or international markets
Strong understanding of formulation, ingredient functionality and cost engineering
Knowledge of regulatory and compliance requirements (particularly in food, health or beauty)
Supplier and co-manufacturer management
Commercial awareness of margin targets and cost-to-serve
Ability to manage multiple innovation projects simultaneously

At more senior levels, experience building innovation pipelines and leading cross-functional delivery becomes critical.

Common triggers include:

Accelerating innovation pipelines
Expanding into new categories or formats
Reformulating products to protect margin
Entering new retail channels or international markets
Preparing for retailer range reviews or investor scrutiny
As businesses scale, structured product development processes become essential to managing risk, protecting brand reputation and ensuring consistent delivery.

In early-stage brands, founders or small teams may manage innovation directly. As revenue and SKU count increase, dedicated NPD Managers are appointed to oversee formulation and launch execution.

In larger or investor-backed organisations, this evolves into Heads of Product Development or Innovation Directors who manage pipelines, budgets, technical teams and long-term product strategy aligned to commercial growth targets.

Lime Talent specialises in FMCG and consumer brand recruitment, supporting businesses at growth-stage, investor-backed and established levels.

Our approach includes targeted market mapping across innovation and technical talent, competency-based assessment, technical capability review and salary benchmarking to ensure strong alignment between commercial objectives and product execution capability.

As innovation pipelines scale, the cost of delay or regulatory error increases significantly. We understand the commercial and operational pressures facing consumer brands, including speed to market, margin protection and technical compliance.

This allows us to identify candidates who can balance creativity with operational discipline and deliver innovation that supports sustainable growth.

Most searches take 4–8 weeks depending on technical specialism, category complexity and seniority. Senior innovation leadership roles may require a longer search to ensure strong strategic and cultural alignment.

Yes. We regularly place interim NPD Managers, Technical Leads and Innovation Consultants, particularly during periods of accelerated product launches, reformulation projects, retailer resets or team transitions.