Raw Material QA Technician

Years; Nottingham; Hybrid; GBP 27,000 - 33,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

£30,000 PA

Learning & Development budget: £250

Mental Wellbeing support

Wellbeing budget: £200

Volunteer day per year

Team events: quarterly

Discounts on Years treats

Lunch & Learn programme

Casual dress

Birthday leave

Holiday buy-back option

Job summary

Years in Nottingham is seeking a Raw Material QA Technician to oversee the quality of raw materials entering the site, from intake sampling to testing, ensuring each material meets Years' quality standards before production, and supporting food safety via cold store monitoring.

You will liaise with suppliers, maintain records, and assist with audits to uphold strict QA controls across the manufacturing process.

Qualifications

• Food safety Level 2 minimum; Level 3 desirable.
• HACCP awareness training completed.
• GCSEs or equivalent including English and Maths.

Responsibilities

• Sample and test incoming raw materials per protocols and frequencies.
• Check intake materials against specifications including visual, documentation and required checks.
• Create and maintain raw material intake specifications aligned with supplier data and formulations.
• Record fridge and cold store temperatures across areas and escalate deviations.
• Identify and quarantine non-conforming materials; raise holds and non-conformance reports.
• Maintain audit-ready intake and testing records.
• Liaise with suppliers and technical team on QA queries and certificates of analysis.
• Support audits with intake QC records and evidence.
• Flag recurring supplier quality issues to the Technical Manager.

Skills

Attention to detail

Excel proficiency

Record-keeping systems

Education

Food safety Level 2 (minimum) / Level 3 desirable

HACCP awareness training

GCSEs or equivalent (English & Maths)

Job description

Join Our Pack

From a bold idea to revolutionising dog food,Years has grown into a fast-scaling business dedicated to helping dogs live longer, healthier lives.

In just 3 years, we've built a great start up business, servingthousands of happy customers, all while striving to achieve our mission.

Our goal? To give dog owners abetter, fresher, and healthierway to feed their pets. We providehuman cut, personalised mealsdesigned to support each dog's unique needs, delivered straight to their door - no preservatives, no compromises, just real nutrition.

You can find our customers across theUK, with future ambitions toscale internationallyand continue transforming how people care for their dogs.

Your Mission

As a Raw Material QA Technician, you'll be responsible for the quality control of raw materials entering site, from intake sampling and testing through to specification management. The role ensures every raw material meets Years' quality standards before it's released into production, and supports wider food safety compliance through cold store temperature monitoring.

Key Responsibilities

• Sample and test incoming raw materials in line with agreed testing protocols and frequencies
• Check raw materials on intake against specification, covering visual inspection, documentation, and any required physical or chemical checks
• Create, maintain, and update raw material intake specifications, keeping them aligned with supplier data and current formulations
• Record and check fridge and cold store temperatures across P1 and P2, escalating any deviations immediately
• Identify and quarantine any non-conforming raw materials, raising holds and non-conformance reports as required
• Maintain accurate, audit-ready intake and testing records
• Liaise with suppliers and the wider technical team on quality queries, certificates of analysis, and traceability documentation
• Support internal and external audits (SALSA, APHA, customer) with intake QC records and evidence
• Flag recurring supplier quality issues to the Technical Manager

Qualifications

• Food safety qualification (Level 2 minimum; Level 3 desirable)
• HACCP awareness training
• GCSEs or equivalent including English and Maths

Experience

• Experience in a QA or technical role within food or feed manufacturing
• Experience with raw material sampling, testing, or goods-in inspection
• Comfortable working with specifications, certificates of analysis, and supplier documentation
• Confident using Excel and internal systems for record-keeping
• Good attention to detail and comfortable raising issues without prompting

What's In It For You? Years Benefits

• £30,000 PA
• Annual £250.00 Learning & Development budget for courses, books or other self-learn activities
• Access to Spill EAP and Mental Wellbeing support
• Annual £200.00 Wellbeing budget
• Up to 2 weeks working abroad per year (selected roles)
• Monthly recognition through our Yappa of The Month programme
• 1 Volunteer day per year - dog themed or not: it's your choice!
• Subsidised employee groups - from five a side to padel there's loads to get involved in or the chance to start up your own group
• Quarterly subsidised team events from Axe throwing, crazy golf to cocktail making
• Exclusive discounts on Years and Years treats for yourself and friends/family
• Lunch & Learn programme - from dog first aid to financial savviness we've got sessions planned to cover all kinds of topics
• Casual dress
• Your birthday off or different day if it falls on a non-working day
• Ability to sell any unused holiday back to Years at the end of the Holiday Year (maximum 1 working week)