Senior Food Technologist

Cardiff Metropolitan University; Cardiff; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave 35 days

LGPS membership

Flexible working

Wellbeing support Health Assured

Access to library and digital services

Gym/sports facilities

Job summary

Cardiff Metropolitan University in Wales seeks a Senior Food Technologist to lead NPD and provide expert technical support to the Welsh Food Industry Sector and UK stakeholders via ZERO2FIVE and related channels. The role involves mentoring our Food Industry Centre Technologists, supervising product development, organoleptic evaluation, shelf-life testing and benchmarking for commercial partners.

You will work across funded projects, transfer knowledge to the technical team, and help deliver

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in New Product Development (NPD).
• Strong project management and team leadership skills.
• Experience with technical, process or quality systems and compliance in food manufacturing.
• Familiarity with BRCGS/Quality Management Systems (QMS).
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities.

Responsibilities

• Supervise and monitor design, development and manufacture of new products and processes for wide range of organisations.
• Identify key NPD gaps in partners' operations through analyses and audits.
• Lead project delivery from enquiry to closure for NPD initiatives.
• Perform organoleptic evaluation, nutritional analysis and shelf-life benchmarking.
• Support scoping and compliance for funded and commercial projects.

Skills

NPD

Project management

Team leadership

Quality systems

Communication

Education

Degree in Food Science

Job description

Senior Food Technologist

You will be responsible for the development and delivery of 'best in class' food manufacturing technical expertise to support the Welsh Food Industry Sector and supply chain via Welsh Government (WG) funded projects and the UK Food industry and stakeholders via commercial/other ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre mechanisms. Additionally, you'll be responsible for the delivery of new product development and innovation support to the food manufacturing sector in Wales via Welsh Government funded projects and the UK Food Industry via the Food Industry Centre mechanisms.

The role provides the opportunity to transfer knowledge to our technical team, food manufacturers and stakeholders. This will be realised through mentorship and support of our highly motivated Food industry Centre Technologists.

For more information about ZERO2FIVE visit: zero2five.org.uk.

You’ll support by:

• Supervising and monitoring of the design, development and manufacture of new products, processes and systems for Micro, SMEs and large organisations, in line with current legislation and quality standard.
• Identifying key new product development shortfalls in industrial partners' operations through gap analyses and internal audits.
• Implementing a rigorous and robust project delivery mechanism (from project enquiry to project closure) for all New Product Development projects delivered by ZERO2FIVE under the guidance of the New Product Development Manager.
• Undertaking organoleptic evaluation, nutritional analysis, shelf-life determination and benchmarking of products in accordance with agreed protocols for partner companies and commercial clients.
• Undertake and/or support project research as required to complete the project innovation.
• Supporting for scoping all funded and commercial projects in line with Cardiff Metropolitan University and ZERO2FIVE policies and procedures, liaise with the Research & Innovation department to achieve compliance for commercial projects.
• Taking ownership as a subject matter lead in specific areas to support the wider team.
• Providing knowledge transfer through the delivery of workshops.
• Networking with senior managers in an industrial setting to support the delivery of technical strategies and projects as required.
• Undertaking gap analyses (against a Technical Standard), at company premises, to identify technical needs and define action plans for implementation.

What you’ll bring

• You will bring extensive experience of working within NPD and keep yourself up to date with key trends in innovation in the food and drink manufacturing sector.
• Your attention to detail and project management skills will be applied to all areas of the role.
• You’ll hold a degree in a relevant Science discipline i.e. Food Science (or equivalent experience) and have worked in at least 3 product categories in NPD or related areas.
• Relevant previous experience in the food manufacturing industry in the field of technical, process or quality systems and compliance management.
• Experience of managing technical/compliance areas of the food industry.
• Experience of managing part of, or the whole of BRCGS /QMS compliant technical systems.
• Effective project management skills to include time management, logistics, meeting management and presentation skills.
• Ability to lead and develop teams, assess both written work and team member's performance as appropriate, giving positive feedback for improvement.

Why join Cardiff Metropolitan University?

We are a values-based University. We are proud of our culture, and we are there for our people. Our community spirit is the golden thread that underpins our values and behaviours. We support and embrace inclusion that enables everyone to feel respected and able to perform at their best. By joining our University, you'll find yourself in a unique environment where a wealth of knowledge and resources are readily available, supporting you with your career development.

Benefits

We offer excellent benefits such as:

• Annual leave of 35 days, plus 12 bank holiday / concessionary days.
• Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme with generous monthly contributions.
• Excellent family friendly policies - take a look on our Policy Hub page.
• Opportunities to learn and develop your skills with access to library and digital services facilities.
• Excellent sports and fitness facilities with subsidised membership.
• Free family access to our independent specialist wellbeing support provider, Health Assured.

Applications may be submitted in Welsh, and an application submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application submitted in English.

Cardiff Metropolitan University is proud to be a Disability Confident employer and a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant.

We warmly welcome applications from those traditionally underrepresented in the higher education sector.

The University is committed to creating a highly inclusive culture. We offer family friendly and flexible working arrangements and a range of staff networks, forums and events to support and develop our people.

Why Work Here?

Dating back to 1865, we remain rooted in Wales with a global reach, offering you a world of opportunity. Our education, research and innovation deliver positive impact for equality, social inclusion and environmental sustainability, locally, nationally and internationally.

Explore what makes our community an exceptional place to be.