Senior Sensory Scientist

Protea Recruitment; High Wycombe; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Private medical insurance

Enhanced pension

25 days annual leave

Life assurance

Flexible benefits package

Ongoing professional development

Job summary

Protea Recruitment is seeking a Senior Sensory Technologist for a leading international food manufacturer in Buckinghamshire. You will lead sensory and consumer research programmes across innovation and product optimisation, translating insights into strategic recommendations.

Collaborate with Product Development, Marketing and Quality teams to embed consumer learning throughout the innovation process, and manage projects from design to presentation while championing best practice in sensory

Qualifications

• Degree in Food/Sensory/Consumer Science or related field.
• Experience in sensory science or consumer insights within FMCG.
• Strong analytical skills and data interpretation ability.

Responsibilities

• Lead sensory and consumer research programmes across innovation and product optimisation.
• Design and execute sensory studies using quantitative and qualitative methods.
• Manage projects from design to analysis and presentation of results.
• Translate data into clear, commercially relevant recommendations.

Skills

Sensory science

Consumer insights

Data analysis

Project management

Stakeholder management

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

BSc in Food/Sensory Science

Tools

RedJade

XLSTAT

R

Job description

Senior Sensory Technologist

Location: Buckinghamshire

The Opportunity

Our client is a leading international food manufacturer with an exciting portfolio of well-known consumer brands. They are seeking an experienced Senior Sensory Technologist to join their Innovation team, playing a key role in ensuring consumer and sensory insights drive product development and business decisions.

Working as part of a collaborative cross-functional team, you'll lead sensory and consumer research programmes that support innovation, product optimisation and continuous improvement across a diverse product portfolio. This is an excellent opportunity to influence products from concept through to launch while working with a business that places consumers at the centre of everything it does.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead sensory and consumer research programmes across innovation, renovation and product optimisation projects.
• Design and execute sensory and consumer studies using appropriate quantitative and qualitative methodologies.
• Manage projects from study design through to analysis, interpretation and presentation of results.
• Translate complex data into clear, commercially relevant recommendations that influence product development.
• Present insights to technical, commercial and senior stakeholders to support decision making.
• Work closely with Product Development, Marketing, Consumer Insight and Technical teams to embed consumer learning throughout the innovation process.
• Identify market, category and competitor trends to support future innovation strategies.
• Champion best practice in sensory science and continuously evaluate new methodologies and technologies.
• Build strong relationships across the business to maximise the value of sensory and consumer insight.

About You

We're looking for someone with a strong background in sensory science who enjoys working collaboratively and influencing product decisions through data-driven insight.

You’ll ideally have:

• A degree in Food Science, Sensory Science, Consumer Science or a related discipline.
• Significant experience in sensory science or consumer technical insight within the food or FMCG industry.
• Strong understanding of both qualitative and quantitative sensory methodologies.
• Experience using statistical and sensory software such as RedJade, XLSTAT, R or similar.
• Excellent analytical and problem‑solving skills.
• The ability to interpret complex datasets and communicate findings in a clear and engaging way.
• Strong presentation and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience working within cross‑functional innovation or product development teams.
• Excellent organisation and project management skills.

What's on Offer

• Competitive salary
• Annual bonus
• Private medical insurance
• Enhanced pension
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Life assurance
• Flexible benefits package
• Ongoing professional development and career progression

Interested?

If you're passionate about sensory science and consumer understanding and are looking to make a real impact within a global FMCG business, we'd love to hear from you.