Senior New Product Development (NPD)/Senior Formulation Specialist

Purpose

The Senior New Product Development (NPD) Specialist is responsible for leading the formulation, development, optimisation and technical delivery of innovative, scientifically sound and commercially viable food supplement products for Vita Manufacture's clients.

This is a senior, hands-on technical role requiring extensive formulation experience across capsules, tablets, powders, liquids and gummies, with the ability to independently manage complex product development projects from initial customer requirements through laboratory formulation, sampling, technical approval and successful manufacturing scale-up.

Working closely with the NPD Manager, the Senior NPD Specialist will take ownership of assigned development projects, provide technical expertise, resolve formulation challenges and ensure products meet agreed quality, stability, regulatory, cost and manufacturing requirements.

The role involves close collaboration with Sales, Quality Assurance, Procurement, Production and external ingredient suppliers to ensure efficient product development, accurate technical documentation and timely delivery of customer projects.

Beyond formulation expertise, the successful candidate will contribute to improving NPD processes, reducing development timelines, optimising formulation costs and supporting the technical development of junior team members.

Essential Requirement: Applicants must demonstrate substantial, practical formulation experience across capsules, tablets, powders, liquids and gummies. Experience in formulation feasibility, ingredient compatibility, product stability and manufacturing scale-up is essential.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead Product Formulation and Development – Independently design, develop and optimise food supplement formulations across capsules, tablets, powders, liquids and gummies, ensuring products meet customer requirements, ingredient specifications, manufacturing capabilities and commercial objectives.

• Manage End-to-End NPD Projects – Take ownership of multiple customer formulation projects, from initial technical feasibility assessment and formulation design through laboratory sampling, customer revisions, approval and manufacturing handover.

• Resolve Complex Formulation Challenges – Identify and overcome technical challenges involving ingredient compatibility, solubility, stability, bioavailability considerations, taste, texture, processing suitability, dosage limitations and product performance.

• Lead Laboratory Formulation and Sampling – Independently calculate ingredient quantities, accurately weigh and blend raw materials, prepare laboratory prototypes and optimise formulations through structured testing and documented iterations.

• Develop Products Across Multiple Formats – Apply specialist knowledge of capsule filling, tablet compression, powder blending, gummy formulation, liquid supplements, bottled liquids and functional drinks, taking account of the processing requirements and limitations of each format.

• Assess Technical and Commercial Feasibility – Evaluate customer formulation requests against ingredient functionality, permitted dosages, manufacturing limitations, raw material availability, production costs, target selling prices and minimum order quantities.

• Collaborate with Sales and Commercial Teams – Review Customer Formulation Forms (CFFs), provide technical recommendations, prepare formulation specifications and support the development of accurate, commercially viable customer proposals and quotations.

• Manage Formulation Costs and Optimisation – Develop cost-effective formulations without compromising agreed quality and performance requirements. Identify alternative ingredients, improve formulation efficiency and support gross margin objectives.

• Prepare and Maintain Technical Documentation – Produce and maintain accurate master formulations, product specifications, raw material specifications, bills of materials, batch instructions, sampling records, ingredient calculations and development reports.

• Support Regulatory Compliance and Product Safety – Ensure formulations are assessed against applicable UK and relevant international food supplement regulations, ingredient restrictions, permitted claims and food safety requirements. Work within GMP, HACCP and ISO 22000-aligned quality systems, escalating borderline medicinal classification questions where appropriate.

• Lead Supplier and Ingredient Evaluation – Work with suppliers to source and evaluate raw materials, obtain Certificates of Analysis (COAs), review technical specifications, assess ingredient suitability and identify suitable alternatives where required.

• Oversee Product Stability and Quality Assessments – Coordinate appropriate stability studies, ingredient compatibility assessments, sensory evaluations and other technical testing to support product quality, shelf-life determination and manufacturing readiness.

• Lead Manufacturing Scale-Up and Technical Handover – Work closely with Production and Quality teams to transition approved laboratory formulations into commercial manufacturing, assessing process parameters, equipment suitability, batch reproducibility and potential scale-up risks.

• Provide Technical Guidance and Mentorship – Support junior NPD specialists and laboratory colleagues by reviewing formulation calculations, providing technical advice, sharing best practices and promoting consistent documentation and quality standards.

• Improve NPD Efficiency and Processes – Identify opportunities to reduce formulation development time, minimise unnecessary sampling iterations, improve technical documentation, standardise processes and increase the capacity of the NPD function.

• Drive Innovation and Product Research – Research emerging supplement ingredients, delivery systems, manufacturing technologies, scientific developments and consumer trends to support innovation and strengthen Vita Manufacture's technical capabilities.

What You'll Bring

• Advanced Formulation Expertise – Demonstrable hands-on experience developing capsules, tablets, powders, liquids and gummies, with a strong understanding of the unique formulation and processing requirements of each product format.

• Strong Scientific and Technical Knowledge – A sound understanding of ingredient chemistry, functionality, compatibility, formulation stability, excipient selection, dosage calculations and supplement manufacturing processes.

• Independent Project Ownership – The ability to manage multiple formulation projects simultaneously, prioritise workload, meet deadlines and deliver technically accurate outputs with minimal supervision.

• Excellent Problem-Solving Skills – A systematic, analytical approach to investigating formulation challenges, evaluating alternative solutions and implementing scientifically justified improvements.

• Commercial Awareness – An understanding of raw material costs, manufacturing feasibility, formulation efficiency and the importance of developing products that meet customer budgets and business profitability objectives.

• Exceptional Attention to Detail – High standards of accuracy in formulation calculations, laboratory processes, technical documentation, raw material evaluation and quality records.

• Strong Regulatory and Quality Awareness – Practical knowledge of food supplement legislation, relevant ingredient restrictions, product specifications, GMP principles, HACCP and food safety management systems.

• Excellent Communication and Collaboration – The ability to explain complex technical information clearly to customers, commercial colleagues, suppliers and manufacturing teams.

• Leadership and Mentoring Skills – Confidence providing technical guidance to junior colleagues, reviewing work, sharing expertise and helping maintain high standards across the NPD function.

• A Results-Driven Work Ethic – Strong personal accountability, self-motivation, organisational discipline and commitment to delivering high-quality work efficiently and consistently.

• Continuous Improvement Mindset – The ability to challenge inefficient processes, identify opportunities for improvement and contribute practical solutions that increase productivity and development quality.

Qualifications and Experience

• Minimum five years of relevant experience in food supplement formulation, pharmaceutical formulation, nutraceutical product development or a closely related R&D environment is preferred.

• A bachelor's degree or higher qualification in Pharmaceutical Science, Food Science, Food Technology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Nutrition or a relevant scientific discipline.

• A master's degree or PhD in Pharmaceutical Science, Food Science, Formulation Science or a related subject is advantageous.

• Demonstrable hands-on formulation experience across capsules, tablets, powders, liquids and gummies is essential.

• Proven experience independently developing and optimising formulations from initial concept through laboratory prototyping and manufacturing approval.

• Practical experience in ingredient selection, excipient functionality, formulation calculations, compatibility assessments and technical problem-solving.

• Experience developing formulations for commercial manufacturing, including understanding scale-up requirements, process limitations and production equipment.

• Experience preparing and reviewing technical specifications, master formulations, bills of materials, development reports and manufacturing documentation.

• Knowledge of UK food supplement regulations, food safety standards, GMP principles and ISO 22000 requirements.

• Experience working directly with ingredient suppliers, evaluating raw material documentation and identifying alternative ingredients.

• Demonstrable experience managing multiple product development projects against agreed timelines and technical deliverables.

• Experience mentoring junior formulation scientists, NPD specialists or laboratory personnel is desirable.

• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Microsoft 365 and electronic formulation, project management or documentation systems.

Key Performance Expectations

The successful candidate will be expected to deliver measurable results across the following areas:

• Project Delivery: Complete assigned formulation projects and technical deliverables within agreed development timelines.

• Formulation Quality: Develop technically accurate, stable and manufacturing-feasible formulations that meet customer requirements.

• Development Efficiency: Reduce avoidable sampling iterations, formulation errors and unnecessary delays.

• Commercial Viability: Ensure formulations meet agreed raw material cost and manufacturing feasibility requirements.

• Technical Documentation: Maintain accurate, complete and traceable formulation and development records.

• Manufacturing Readiness: Achieve successful technical handovers and support reproducible commercial-scale production.

• Customer Satisfaction: Support effective resolution of technical questions and timely progression of customer development projects.

• Team Development: Improve technical capability and consistency through mentoring, knowledge sharing and process standardisation.

• Innovation: Contribute to new product concepts, improved formulations and the development of Vita Manufacture's technical capabilities.

Performance will be assessed against agreed technical, operational, commercial and project delivery objectives.

Working Environment

• Full-time, on-site position at Vita Manufacture's supplement manufacturing facility.

• Direct involvement in laboratory formulation, prototype development, ingredient testing and manufacturing support.

• Collaborative working environment involving NPD, Quality, Sales, Procurement and Production teams.

• Responsibility for independently managing assigned technical projects while supporting the wider NPD function.

• Opportunity to contribute to product innovation, process improvements and commercial manufacturing development.

Working Days: Monday – Friday

Working Hours: 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM

Employment Type: Full-time, Permanent

What We Offer

• Competitive salary reflecting technical expertise and relevant experience.

• Comprehensive onboarding and ongoing technical training.

• 28 days' annual leave, inclusive of bank holidays.

• Company pension.

• Birthday gifts.

• Annual team-building activities.

• Fully paid company Christmas party.

• Direct involvement in developing innovative nutritional and health supplement products.

• Opportunities to collaborate with experienced technical and commercial professionals.

• Access to a diverse portfolio of product development projects across multiple supplement formats.

• Excellent opportunities for professional development and career progression.

Growth and Career Opportunities

At Vita Manufacture, we believe technical excellence, innovation and accountability are fundamental to building a successful manufacturing business.

As a Senior NPD Specialist, you will play an important role in strengthening our scientific capabilities, improving formulation efficiency and supporting the successful development of products for supplement brands.

You will have the opportunity to work on challenging formulation projects, influence technical processes, support junior colleagues and contribute to the expansion of our product development and manufacturing capabilities.

For a high-performing individual demonstrating technical leadership, consistent project delivery and strong commercial awareness, there is a potential progression pathway towards NPD Manager or a broader technical leadership position, subject to performance and business requirements.

This role is particularly suited to an experienced formulation professional who enjoys solving complex technical challenges, takes ownership of projects and wants to make a measurable contribution to a growing manufacturing business.

Application Questions

1. How many years of hands-on experience do you have in food supplement, nutraceutical or pharmaceutical formulation?

2. Which of the following formats have you personally formulated: capsules, tablets, powders, liquids and gummies? Please describe your experience with each.

3. Describe a technically challenging formulation project you independently developed. What were the challenges, and how did you resolve them?

4. Have you successfully transferred a laboratory formulation into commercial-scale manufacturing? Please provide an example.

5. How do you evaluate ingredient compatibility, stability and manufacturing feasibility when developing a new supplement?

6. What methods do you use to minimise formulation costs while maintaining product quality and meeting customer requirements?

7. How many formulation projects have you managed simultaneously, and how did you ensure deadlines were achieved?

8. Have you previously mentored junior formulation scientists or NPD team members?

9. What experience do you have with UK food supplement regulations, GMP, HACCP and ISO 22000?

10. What is your expected annual salary?

How to Apply

Join Vita Manufacture and play a leading role in developing the next generation of innovative, scientifically sound and commercially viable food supplement products.

If you are an experienced formulation specialist with proven expertise across capsules, tablets, powders, liquids and gummies, strong technical problem-solving skills and the ability to independently deliver successful product development projects, we would welcome your application.

To apply: Submit your up-to-date CV, highlighting your formulation experience, product formats, technical achievements and relevant development projects for consideration.