Process Development Technologist

At Oscar Mayer Erith, we specialise in making and developing retailer label prepared foods for the top UK grocery retailers. We are committed to supplying outstanding quality, value and service to all our customers.

Due to growth and expansion in our business, we are looking to grow our Technical team with the addition of a Process Development Technologist.

Job Purpose

To develop new, profitable and deliverable product concepts. To provide process and technical support in product development and successful transfer to production.

Accountabilities

1. Ensure all product information received from the concept team is verified as correct.
2. Following product approval, ensure all relevant departments have the necessary information to complete the customer requirements for launch critical path.
3. The generation of the initial controlled product manuals is the responsibility of the Concept Technologist. It is the responsibility of the Process team to ensure the manual is kept up to date through the launch process and organise distribution and sign-off with the relevant departments, ensuring accuracy is paramount for transfer to the specification writers.
4. Ensure that products meet the desired customer criteria through appropriate testing e.g. organising generation of cooking instructions, nutritional data analysis and shelf life generation. 
5. Discuss the outcome of the shelf life trials with the Technical department following the completion of both microbiological and organoleptic testing, and confirm the outcome of the discussions to relevant departments.
6. Ensures that organoleptic shelf-life results are cross referenced with the microbiological shelf life results, alongside the technical department
7. Assist in customer presentations and panels.
8. Provide the relevant paperwork required for photography shoots and attend photography if necessary.
9. Organise the collection of samples for customer requests, ensuring that they are to specification and boxed and labelled appropriately, and liaise with the Concept Development Technologist who will arrange couriers for delivery.
10. Collate information from all practical work and interpret and feedback any relevant results to the Concept Development Technologist for possible product amendment or discussion with the customer.
11. Provide a central point of information for factory enquiries on new product trials and or launches.
12. Maintain and control product manuals with the Concept Technologist, factory cook and assembly sheets with Technical and Operations, critical path documentation for the customer.
13. Answer everyday customer queries and requests.
14. Translate kitchen methods and assembly into a suitable factory processes.
15. Organise factory trials as required e.g. launch, EDLC and issue schedules and request raw materials.
16. Pre-launch trials – agree timings, re-issue all relevant paperwork, attend, complete factory trial records, ensure that reference and lab samples are taken and report on findings to all relevant departments.
17. Generate the final customer Quality Attribute Information for all new products and ensure they are updated to the customer requests and approved in the timescales agreed with each customer.
18. Organise post-trial meetings to ensure that concerns from all departments are documented with actions.
19. Following organisation of the launch schedule in conjunction with relevant departments, oversee all factory launches – cooks and assembly and approve with the Management team for release to depot and customer samples.
20. Initial generation of any validation data for the processes involved.
21. Once products are launched to work with operations and technical to see if there are any improvements to be made to the process or its efficiency.
22. Provides a tangible input into the on-going improvement of product quality of existing dishes as part of the development team.
23. Proactively involved in the delivery of our “Food Culture Programme” to improve the food skills and understanding of the site.

Knowledge, Skills & Experience

• Recognisable process or technical background, holding development positions within chilled food.
• Food Development and recipe knowledge.
• Consumer insight.