Head of Food role at Marro, based at Rudie's Kitchen in Worksop, owning product development strategy and feline nutrition, formulation, palatability and sensory science, with a focus on customer retention and cats choosing Marro.
Responsibilities
Own Marro product development strategy end-to-end, including long-term vision and range architecture; Turn the strategy into a prioritised multi-year roadmap grounded in customer insights, scientific evidence and commercial goals; Own the Marro product development budget for trials, palatability and sensory testing, external specialists and research; Build business cases for product changes covering recipe cost, margin, savings and customer benefit; Make trade-off decisions between nutrition, palatability, quality, cost and manufacturability; Own palatability performance and reduce customer pauses caused by the food; Act as the leading expert on feline nutrition, ingredients, formulation, processing, palatability and sensory; Set quality benchmarks and work with Operations to fix quality issues at the root; Decide research priorities and work with external specialists; Sign off product quality and claims, working with Brand and Marketing; Report to the Product Development Director
Requirements
Deep expertise in feline nutrition, ingredients, formulation, processing, sensory and palatability; Proven product judgment balancing nutrition, palatability, quality, customer expectations, manufacturing realities and cost; Experience shaping product strategy, not just delivering against a roadmap; Ability to lead cross-functional work and influence senior stakeholders; Hands-on with the food, running kitchen trials and evaluating product; Scientific curiosity and ability to turn evidence into practical change; Comfortable with ambiguity, moving quickly and taking ownership; Willingness to coach others and challenge the status quo; Ideally a degree or postgraduate qualification in animal nutrition, food science, sensory science or a related field, or equivalent hands-on pet food experience
Nice to have
Degree or postgraduate qualification in animal nutrition, food science, sensory science or a related field; Hands-on pet food experience
Benefits
Equity option package; 25 days holiday plus 8 bank holidays, 5 paws days and an additional day every year of service; £500 personal learning and development budget; Butternut Box / Marro employee discount; Subsidised Private Medical Insurance with Vitality; Cycle to work scheme; Flexible working with hybrid remote working; Team socials, plus company-wide summer and winter parties
Wielka Brytania · Blyth
