Senior Process Technologist

Job Title: Senior Process Technologist
Permanent position: Up to £60,000 + benefits
Location: Kettering
Hours: Monday-Friday but flexibility is required – 40hrs per week
 
This is an exciting opportunity for a dynamic and driven Senior Food / Process Technologist to join the site-based Technical team at a new-build factory in Kettering. This is a unique role as its responsibilities for the first 12 months will be focussed on the set-up and validation of the new site, following which the role will transition into business-as-usual responsibilities. The perfect candidate will have an obsession with understanding how food products are made, both in terms of the formulation science as well as the manufacturing process. They will love to get hands-on with the product and spending time in the factory, combining both to become the expert in the products they make. This role will utilise this expertise to ensure all products transferred to the site launch with excellence, and later support on leading site technical initiatives, landing innovation and continuous improvement projects as business-as-usual.
 

Key responsibilities for the role:
 

• Support the commissioning and product validation of the technology transfer into a new manufacturing facility, delivering against the defined brand and business requirements.
• Provide food science technical expertise for the project; understand the science behind the product, the critical process parameters in its manufacture and how these influence key product attributes.
• Support the product data collection for knowledge transfer; measuring process parameters and product attributes against a statistical measurement plan to build a benchmark of the current products and process.
• Organise and execute lab assessments and factory trials in accordance with the defined validation plan. Completing technical reports with the analysis and interpretation of results, that lead to conclusions and recommendations that inform the project.
• Use food science to troubleshoot issues highlighted during trials and commissioning, working closely with Production and Engineering teams to find solutions.
• Support the handover of product validation to the site team, inputting on factory specification, SOPs and Quality Standards documentation creation.
• For BAU: manage, develop and support the food and process technologist team (2-3 direct reports) to deliver and grow in their careers.
• For BAU technical site support: maintaining product safety rationales, raw material risk assessments and product compositional control.
• For technical BAU innovation; work closely with cross-functional teams to launch high quality products and packaging which scale efficiently within the factory and are delivered to launch timings. This may include supporting the selection and assessment of new equipment.
• For technical BAU supply continuity / continuous improvement; work with the Product Development, Process and/or Procurement teams to implement ingredient / packaging changes to ensure continuity and efficiency of supply without impact on product quality or consumer perception.
  

 
Experience required:

• Experience in a food / process technologist or R&D Scientist role
• Experience working with comparable products / ingredients is highly desired i.e. dairy, ice cream or bakery
• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in food science, technology or engineering
• Product transfer experience is preferred
• People management experience is preferred
• A science and data led approach
• Statistical analysis capability
• Self-motivated and excellent communicator
• Understanding of HACCP and site technical standards

 
 
Some of the benefits of working here include:
 
They are a fast-growing and dynamic business, the nature of which means roles and responsibilities can change and grow quickly and at scale. For the right person this represents an opportunity to grow and evolve your role and responsibilities with us and to develop your career at pace.

They will provide you with as much support, guidance, and training as you need and offer an excellent benefits package.
 
To discuss further please get in touch with Lucy Aspinall at Technical Network, Lucy.aspinall@technical-network.co.uk