Food product developer
M&S food product developers are unique in the retailing world. They’re responsible for delivering a product offer that exceeds our customers’ expectations for both quality and innovation.
It’s their job to develop fantastic new products which have the 'WOW' factor, as well as delivering improvements to existing products. Based at our Waterside Head Office in London, they keep an eye on the latest trends in worldwide food markets and then translate these into ground-breaking market ranges.
Developers work within category teams with responsibility for a specific product group. Creativity, a passion for food and a good understanding of quality and raw materials are all essential to the role.
As a graduate, what would my role be?
You’ll spend at least two years working as a graduate food product developer in different food areas until you’ve gained enough experience to become a fully operational product developer. A key part of your role will be to develop your market knowledge as well as your understanding of the category and the supplier process. You’ll spend a lot of time building effective relationships within your category team. With a supply base spread across the four corners of the globe, your development may provide the opportunity to travel.
How will you help me develop?
You will be offered both in-house and external training that will equip you to become a major contributor to your department’s performance. The majority of your learning will be on-the-job, although you’ll also spend time working at our suppliers, and in our stores, to understand the full process of how a product travels from the production line to check out.
What sort of qualities are you looking for?
You’ll need to have a food related qualification, and be commercially astute, numerate and creative. You’ll also have excellent communication skills, as you’ll be working closely with a variety of internal teams as well as external suppliers. If you’re the type of person who enjoys working through problems and coming up with new solutions along the way, even better.
What happens after I’ve completed the scheme?
Once you’ve completed your training period, you’ll have built up enough knowledge to succeed in the role you’ll take on at the end of the programme. This appointment will be into one of the categories within Foods. From there, we’ll continue to help you develop your skills and give you the chance to work in a number of different areas to broaden your experience. You’ll progress through different roles – but how quickly you move forward will depend on your ability and desire to succeed.
Applications for our 2009/10 intake have now closed - we'll be
re-opening applications for our 2010/11 intake in September so
don't forget to come back then.
Back to top