Name: Claire Baird
Role: Head of NPD and Senior Account Manager
Claire graduated in 2015 from Queens University Belfast, with a 2.1 BSc (Hons) Degree in Food Quality Safety and Nutrition. During her degree, she carried out a 16-week placement at Davison’s, one of the leading hot eat dessert manufacturers for retail within the UK. On graduation from QUB, Claire gained full time employment with the company and now has the role of NPD and Customer Account Manager within Davison’s.
What does your typical day look like?
I have quite a diverse role, so I need to be flexible to meet the needs of the business. Every day for me is different, which is what I enjoy about my role. A large proportion of my time is spent liaising with our key retail customers, understanding their needs and challenges and strategically planning how we can best work together with the ultimate aim to increase business for both parties. Another key task for me is managing the new product development team, I thoroughly enjoy the satisfaction seeing a product through from concept to launch.
What are you currently working on?
Currently within our NPD team, we have begun product development for Christmas 2020 and Valentines 2021! We are always working at least 10 months ahead of launch.
What inspired you to join this company in particular?
The opportunities that Davison’s, a Medium Sized award winning Family Business, have presented me with over the last 5 years have been fantastic. The rate of company growth over this period has been phenomenal, and is testament to the ethos and management of this family business. The ever growing vision and long term growth plan that Davison’s have for the future is what makes it an engaging and great place to work.
Did you always want to work in this industry?
I always wanted to work within the food industry as I was intrigued by the diversity of jobs on offer as well as the industry’s growth curve. However, it wasn’t until I carried out my work placement as part of my degree that I got the opportunity to work within different areas of a food manufacturing business. Gaining experience in all areas of the manufacturing side of the industry, allowed me to identify where my strengths lay and what area I enjoyed most.
What’s your favourite part about your work?
All the different challenges that it presents, I enjoy the diversity of my role, as well as the fast pace of work required to keep up with customer changing needs and demands. I also thoroughly enjoy nurturing the customer relationship that has been built up over the last number of years. There’s a huge sense of achievement when you’ve resolved an issue or received excellent feedback from your customers. It’s great working in this fast-paced environment, creating the next generation of exciting food products and packaging.
What would you say to other people considering a job in this industry?
The food industry is ever-changing, with lots of opportunities to learn and develop. If you are keen to be part of a fast moving and ever changing industry, then I would highly recommend the food industry. No two days will be the same!
