Head of Food (Product Development & Nutrition), Marro

The role

The Head of Food will lead Marro's product development strategy, nutrition, and palatability. You will own the product roadmap, manage the budget, and work hands-on in the kitchen to ensure cats love the food and customers stay.

What you will do

• Own the product development strategy and long-term vision
• Turn strategy into a prioritised multi-year roadmap
• Manage the Marro budget for trials, testing, and research
• Act as the expert on feline nutrition, formulation, and sensory science
• Reduce customer pauses by analyzing feedback and cat response data
• Own palatability performance and measurement
• Make trade-off decisions between nutrition, palatability, quality, cost and manufacturability
• Work with Operations to fix quality issues at the root
• Sign off product quality and claims
• Conduct hands-on kitchen trials and tasting

Required qualifications

• Deep expertise in feline nutrition, ingredients, formulation, processing, sensory and palatability
• Experience shaping product strategy
• Ability to lead cross-functional work and influence senior stakeholders
• Comfortable with ambiguity and moving quickly in a startup environment
• Hands-on experience with food, including tasting and running trials

Nice to have

• Degree or postgraduate qualification in animal nutrition, food science, sensory science or a related field
• Depth of expertise built through 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 & 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

Before you apply

• Initial call with Talent Acquisition Partner (remote)
• 90 minute skills interview in person including an interview task
• 60 minute behaviours interview (remote)
• 45 minute leadership interview (in person)
• Unable to offer visa sponsorship

About the company

Marro is the fresh food brand for cats, described as Butternut's charming younger sister. The food team focuses on great food, strong nutrition, and products that improve pet health.