Senior Food Technologist

The ideal candidate

• At least 3 years’ experience working in a food safety and technical role with manufacturing and retail/brand experience
• Qualified to degree level in food science or a science degree
• Excellent attention to detail
• Work proactively individually as well as in a small team
• Passion for food & Asian inspired food in particular

itsu is the healthy eating, Asian inspired quick service retail & grocery brand with over 70 stores in the UK and a leading grocery business across Europe and beyond. Renowned for its best-in-class food made fresh in every shop every day, itsu has huge global ambitions with a commitment to continue to open many more stores and intensify the growth of its already thriving grocery arm.

With its best‑is‑class healthy food, latest technology, innovation, and talented workforce, itsu is the future of fast food.

itsu [grocery], which this role falls under, takes the itsu brand into supermarkets, health food stores, online, wholesale and internationally with products such as crispy seaweed thins, frozen gyoza & bao, brilliant’broth, rice’noodles & miso’easy to name a few…

itsu [grocery] is committed to building a diverse, equitable and inclusive organisation. We encourage applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply for all of our opportunities.

itsu [grocery] are hiring a Senior Food Technologist who will be responsible for the quality, safety, legality and authenticity of itsu [grocery] products and supplier performance in the relevant category, specifically the delivery of continuous improvement to ensure the highest food safety standards. They will be responsible for driving the awareness of a food safety culture and ensuring it is always considered during decision making.

They will support the Technical team in maintaining AA Grade certification against the BRC Agents & Brokers standard.

• Works with the Category Technical Manager to approve and onboard new suppliers. Maintains the supplier management system for existing suppliers ensuring certificates and questionnaires are up to date.
• Responsible for ongoing risk assessed monitoring of product quality, safety and authenticity through routine surveillance testing, shelf‑life evaluation and organoleptic testing.
• Responsible for completing complaint and out of specification test result investigations for medium and high risk issues. Identifies the root cause and puts relevant corrective and preventative actions in place. Drives continuous improvement with suppliers to achieve a reduction in consumer complaints and improvement in food safety standards.
• Responsible for the technical elements of NPD and EPD projects ensuring the gate process is followed, paperwork completed and testing is conducted on time for nutritional, cooking instructions and shelf life. Foresees and resolves technical issues prior to launch. Attends production trials and first productions.
• Completes the product specifications for new products accurately and on time, ensuring that they capture product key product safety and quality information. Maintains specifications for existing products ensuring they are accurate and up to date.
• Reviews and approves legal labelling artwork for new and existing products and checks compliance with itsu [grocery] brand standards and the labelling regulations.

• Competitive salary
• Competitive bonus scheme
• 25 days holiday + bank holidays (two bank holidays are interchangeable for other religious holidays)
• Health insurance
• Company pension scheme
• Hybrid working (2 days wfh)
• Opportunity to work from abroad
• 50% employee discount in itsu shops
• Free itsu lunch
• Discounts at major retailers
• Salary sacrifice cycle and electric vehicle schemes