At Waitrose & Partners, we don't just sell products, we craft food experiences. We are relentlessly focused on being the UK's most loved, trusted , and innovative own brand, setting the industry standard for Quality and Sustainability. We are looking for a visionary Product Developer to drive the creation of high-quality, differentiated 'Own Brand' products. This role is the commercial heart of development, demanding you balance culinary creativity with strategic retail reality.
Salary - £62,000- £90,000 per annum based on skill and experience
Contract type - This is a temporary /secondment position until July 2027
Working pattern/flexible working - 35 hours per week. The Partnership has adopted a hybrid working approach, meaning you'll be able to work a mixture between the office and home based upon your personal needs whilst balancing the needs of the business.
Location - Bracknell Head Office 3 days per week, with supplier visits required as and when.
Interviews - for this role we are looking for interviews to be held end of June/ Early July
The Category the successful candidate will look after will be Meat poultry, fish dairy and eggs.
Key responsibilities
Develops and delivers new & improved innovative, quality focussed and differentiated products, aligned to Own brand values whilst understanding and managing the commercial implications of development in the grocery environment.
Builds , strengthens and owns the NPD relationships betweenWaitrose and suppliers within the projects being worked on. Ambassador of Own Brand values.
You will work closely with the cross functional category teams in Waitrose trading, external suppliers, Customer Insight, Chef & Innovation, Own Brand & NPD programme teams,Technical & Quality, Packaging, Design & Repro, Legal, Compliance & Policy, Nutrition & Agriculture, & PR, depending on projects & according to RACI.
Essential skills/experience you’ll need
A passion for product.
Previous product development experience within Manufacturing or Retail.
Experience in launching major NPD/Brand projects.
Proven track record of high quality, commercially successful product development & supplier management. Strong creative skills in food, grocery, Horti.
Good analysis skills and capable of analysing sales & insight data.
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To learn more about this role, please copy and paste this link into a new browser window: https://embed.wirewax.com/8114190Closing Date:
June 21, 2026
Pay:
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Where You'll Be Working:
Bracknell Campus, Doncastle Road, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG12 8YAABOUT THE PARTNERSHIPWe’re the largest employee owned business in the UK and home of our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. We’re not just employees, we’re Partners, driven by our purpose to build a happier world. As we look to our future, there’s never been a more exciting time to join us.
We’re ruthlessly focused on being brilliant at retail. We continue to innovate, adapt and diversify. Never Knowingly Undersold on price, quality and service in John Lewis and passionately serving food-lovers in Waitrose.
As Partners we all share the responsibility of ownership and in its rewards. We use our voices to contribute to our success, working together through the good and challenging times, holding true to our behaviours and treating everyone with kindness and respect.
We all own making the Partnership somewhere we belong. Embracing our differences and creating an environment where we’re free to be ourselves and can THRIVE. Growing ourselves individually, and as a collective.
As Partners, we make all the difference. And, we all own it.
Important points to note:
It’s important to note that some of our roles are subject to pre-employment vetting (which may include DBS checks for successful candidates). If required, you’ll be informed and provided with information about vetting during the recruitment process and we encourage you to complete any vetting documents quickly to avoid delays. Any DBS checks required will be carried out by a third-party registered body and financial probity checks may also be required for some of our roles.
We also recommend that you apply as soon as possible as vacancies can close early if we see a high number of applicants.
We want all of our Partners to have a good work-life balance and we support flexible working. This might mean flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts, where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview.
Skills Required
- Previous product development experience within Manufacturing or Retail
- Experience in launching major NPD/Brand projects
- Proven track record of high quality, commercially successful product development and supplier management
- Strong creative skills in food, grocery, horticulture
- Good analysis skills and able to analyse sales and insight data
- Passion for product
What We Do
Working in Partnership for a happier world. Our Partnership is an ongoing experiment to find happier, more trusted ways of doing business, for the benefit of us all. We work together to create a successful business and a fairer, more sustainable future for Partners, customers, suppliers and communities. Our Partnership is owned entirely in trust by Partners which means we are more than employees; we share knowledge, power and profit. Our Purpose inspires our principles, drives our decisions and acts as our guide. Visit www.jlpjobs.com directly to view our current opportunities.
