Job Introduction
As we continue our mission to make people and nature happy through re-inventing chocolate, we’re looking for a Product Developer to join our Product Solutions Team on a 12-month fixed term basis.
Right from the start, we’ve never played by the rules of what people said a chocolate company should be. From our ridiculously thick Easter eggshells to our iconic giant slabs of chocolate, we are always constantly striving to be fresh, creative, innovative and always one surprising step ahead.
That is why, as Product Developer here at Hotel Chocolat, you will be responsible for delivering premium chocolate products that strengthens our brand portfolio and aligns tightly with the company’s long-term business and category strategy. You will act as the central cross-functional lead, the role ensures that all product developments are strategically relevant, range-appropriate, commercially sound, legally compliant, and operationally executable.
This role places strong emphasis on range architecture, portfolio coherence, and strategic fit, ensuring that every product launched has a clear purpose within the premium offer.
As well as a competitive salary and a range of company benefits including private healthcare cover, enhanced maternity and paternity leave and Company pension contributions, you’ll receive 50% discount on all products, and a 70% discount for you and your guests when you stay at our Rabot Estate hideaway on the paradise island of Saint Lucia.
Here at Hotel Chocolat, we've adopted hybrid working. This means you’ll join us on site for three days a week, and for the other two days – you can work from wherever you like! The onsite location for this role is primarily at our Chocolate Factory, 'Hadley Park' in Huntingdon (Cambs) and will be discussed in further detail as part of the interview process. There will also be occasional travel to our other main sites - our Distribution Centre, 'Alpha', in St. Neots (Cambs), and Distribution Centre, 'Beta', in Harpole (Northampton) when required.
What you’ll be doing….
Strategic Range & Portfolio Alignment
- Ensure all product developments align with the premium brand positioning, category strategy, and long-term business objectives.
- Act as a guardian of range coherence, ensuring new products enhance rather than dilute the portfolio.
- Challenge briefs and concepts that do not clearly meet strategic, brand, or range requirements.
- Partner with Category and Commercial teams to define and deliver clear “range fit” across customers and channels.
Stakeholder Leadership & Decision Facilitation
- Lead cross-functional collaboration across Commercial, Category, Finance, Technical, Packaging, Operations, and Supply Chain.
- Facilitate structured decision-making, clearly articulating trade-offs across cost, quality, risk, timing, and strategic value.
- Act as the single development interface, ensuring alignment and clarity throughout the NPI process.
Cost & Value Management (Premium Context)
- Work closely with Finance to develop robust product costings aligned to premium value propositions.
- Ensure cost decisions support margin targets without compromising brand integrity or perceived quality.
- Identify and manage cost risks early, balancing craftsmanship, ingredients, packaging, and operational complexity.
Technical, Legal & Brand Integrity
- Ensure all products meet food safety, quality, and regulatory requirements across relevant markets.
- Partner with Technical and Regulatory teams to manage ingredient compliance, labelling, claims, and export requirements.
- Safeguard brand integrity through disciplined governance and documentation.
Packaging & Presentation Excellence
- Collaborate with Packaging Technology to deliver packaging solutions that reinforce premium positioning whilst meeting legal, quality and sustainability requirements.
- Ensure packaging choices are compatible with operational capability and long-term portfolio strategy.
- Support packaging trials and approvals as part of NPI governance.
Manufacturing & NPI Delivery
- Coordinate scale-up and factory trial activity, ensuring manufacturability aligns with premium quality expectations.
- Act as the integrator between development intent and operational reality.
- Ensure smooth handover into operations and supply chain post-launch.
Who you are…
- Demonstrable experience in product development, innovation, or NPI within premium chocolate, confectionery, or premium FMCG brands.
- Strong understanding of range architecture, portfolio management, and category strategy.
- Proven ability to influence and align senior stakeholders across commercial and technical functions.
Technical & Governance Understanding
- Solid working knowledge of food legislation, technical governance, and quality systems
- Sufficient technical understanding of formulation, packaging, and manufacturing to challenge and guide decisions (hands-on development not required).
Who are we?
We’re one of the UK’s favourite premium chocolate brands, with a range of products spanning luxury gifts, alcohol and our pioneering drinking chocolate system, the Velvetiser™.
A cacao pod takes years to grow – it can’t be rushed if it’s going to be just right for our products. The same can be said for Hotel Chocolat, which originally started as a mint production company before we realised it was luxury chocolate that we were really passionate about.
Now, we’re market leaders in the industry. What began as an online-only business grew to over 140 stores across the UK, and we’re still growing… Today, we’re multi-category, multi-channel, and multi-territory, and our customers, colleagues, cacao farmers and suppliers all benefit from the success we make together.
To learn more about us and read about our People Pledge – our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion – click here: hotelchocolat.com/uk/engaged-ethics/our-people.html