Product Development Technologist

Product Development Technologist

£22,000 - £25,000

Overview

We are a well-established producer and supplier of premium recipe dishes to both the retail and foodservice sector. Operating from our Dorset production site and operating in the chilled sector we also have an established and growing ambient business. Under its current ownership since 2012, the business has an aggressive growth agenda and has been investing in commercial and product development to deliver this. As part of our commitment to continuously improving operating standards and following recent new business gains we are looking to further strengthen our product development team.

Job Description

This is the cornerstone development role based in the factory. At its heart the job is about taking the creative outputs from the development chef and translating them into a workable factory recipe and process. Working within a motivated and highly ambitious development team you will gain wide exposure to both foodservice and retail customers through the development and trial process. Your main tasks will be to bridge the gap between NPD and operations in the introduction of new products to the factory, responsibilities will include:

• Undertaking kitchen and factory trials, ensuring recipes meet commercial targets, documenting product data, conduct sensory evaluation tests, maintain shelf life and quality assessment sample library, ensuring all procedures followed including risk assessment, HACCP, Allergens.   
• Submitting samples, co-ordinating pre-production and launch preparation and evaluations for full production. 
• Agree and write the product standards needed to ensure quality products are produced consistently, at line speed and in the volume required. For example, QAS, methodology, controls
• Lead pre/post trial/production meetings, with follow up actions and next steps. 
• Responsible for reporting to business development team if costs alter post customer quote sign off
• To regularly review materials (including packaging), products and processes to drive innovation and efficiencies
• Support concept development and EPD with idea generation, submission form generation and nutritional verification. 

Ideal candidates will have a strong background in chilled food manufacturing, ideally with further experience in ambient food production, this could be in a development role, but your experience could also be in quality or technical. Alternatively, your background may be from the restaurant and catering sector. In either event, what is most important is that you have a passion for food, a hunger for success and a thirst for learning. To succeed in the role, you will be a strong team player with an eye for detail and a problem-solving mindset. You are likely to have at least three to five years’ experience in your current role and ideally a food science or equivalent degree.