Food Technologist

Location: Clyst St Mary

Join Our Technical Team

We're looking for an experienced and motivated Food Technologist to join our growing Technical team. Reporting to the Technical Manager, you'll play a key role in ensuring our products meet the highest standards of food safety, quality, legality and authenticity while supporting both our customers and suppliers.

This is an excellent opportunity for a technical professional with experience in food manufacturing who enjoys working collaboratively with retailers, suppliers and internal teams to deliver outstanding technical standards.

The Role

As Food Technologist, you'll be responsible for the day-to-day technical administration of the business while supporting the Technical Manager across a broad range of technical activities. You'll manage product approvals, specifications, supplier compliance and quality systems, helping to ensure our products consistently meet customer and legislative requirements.

Key Responsibilities

* Manage the company Quality Management System (QMS), ensuring documentation is controlled, up to date, and compliant with legal, industry, and customer requirements.

* Lead product approval processes, including gathering, reviewing, and validating supplier information to support new and existing product approvals.

* Develop, maintain, and approve internal and customer product specifications, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and alignment with customer standards.

* Manage specification systems and ensure all product data, technical files, and approval records are complete, accurate, and audit ready.

* Review and approve retail packaging artwork and labels to ensure compliance with specifications, legislation, and customer requirements.

* Support supplier approval and compliance processes, including reviewing documentation and maintaining approval status records.

* Liaise with suppliers and customers to resolve specification queries and ensure timely approval of products and changes.

* Support customer technical requirements including questionnaires (SAQs/QAS), audits, and technical meetings where required.

* Investigate and support resolution of product non-conformances and customer complaints, ensuring corrective actions are implemented.

* Coordinate product testing and ensure results are reviewed against specification requirements.

* Monitor compliance against supplier and customer Codes of Practice.

* Support internal and external audits, ensuring product and specification compliance is demonstrated.

* Carry out horizon scanning and monitor food safety and regulatory updates relevant to products and specifications.

Essential Requirements

* Experience in a Technical or Quality role within food manufacturing.

* Experience working with major UK retailers, including specification systems and customer standards.

* Proven experience in product approval and specification management.

* HACCP Level 2 qualified.

* Experience supporting internal, customer and BRC audits.

* Excellent communication and organisational skills with the ability to build effective relationships with customers, suppliers and colleagues.

* Good IT skills, including Microsoft Office and Microsoft Teams.

If you're a proactive Technical or Quality candidate looking to develop your career in a fast-paced food business where quality, customer service and continuous improvement are at the heart of everything we do, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply today and become part of a team committed to delivering exceptional quality from supplier to customer