Supplier and Raw Materials Technologist

Valeo Foods; Wakefield; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading food company in Wakefield is seeking a Supplier and Raw Materials Technologist to manage supplier relationships and ensure high standards of food safety and quality compliance. The ideal candidate will have over 5 years of experience in the food industry, preferably in supplier management, and hold a degree in Food Science. This full-time role involves significant collaboration with cross-functional teams to ensure raw material quality and compliance with ethical standards. A proactive mindset and excellent communication skills are essential.

Benefits

Excellent salary

Matched pension scheme

Death in service

Cycle to work scheme

Canteen

Retailer discount platform

Staff discount

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in the food industry or a similar environment.
• HACCP Level 3 qualification plus hands-on experience with BRC compliance and audits.
• Proven experience conducting supplier audits and risk assessments.

Responsibilities

• Build strong proactive relationships with suppliers.
• Conduct raw material risk assessments and manage testing schedules.
• Ensure suppliers comply with HACCP, BRC and other food safety standards.

Skills

Supplier Management

HACCP

BRC compliance

Risk Assessment

Communication

Project/Program Management

Education

Degree in Food Science or related discipline

Job description

Supplier and Raw Materials Technologist

Hybrid working with 3 days on local site per week.

Are you a specialist in supplier management and raw material quality? Do you thrive on ensuring the highest standards of food safety, integrity and ethical compliance? If you’re ready to make a real impact across a dynamic supply chain, we’d love to hear from you.

As our Supplier & Raw Materials Technologist you’ll be at the heart of our supply base, ensuring every raw material meets our rigorous quality, safety and ethical standards. You’ll collaborate closely with Procurement, Technical and Quality teams to strengthen supplier performance and drive continuous improvement across the business.

What You’ll Be Doing

Supplier Management & Risk Control

• Build strong proactive relationships with suppliers.
• Lead ingredient and raw material risk assessments to meet Valeo Foods standards, customer expectations and third‑party certification requirements.

Ethical & Responsible Sourcing

• Ensure suppliers comply with Valeo Foods Ethical Framework (including SEDEX).
• Assess ethical risks through audits, documentation reviews and onsite visits.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Procurement, NPD, Technical and Quality teams on all supplier and raw material matters.
• Support customer technical teams, providing confidence in our supply chain controls and participating in customer visits and audits.

Key Responsibilities

• Maintain and continuously update the approved supplier list.
• Conduct raw material risk assessments and manage testing schedules, including Free‑From campaigns.
• Oversee raw material traceability and mass balance across the supply base.
• Ensure supplier compliance with HACCP, BRC and other relevant food safety standards.
• Carry out supplier audits in line with the risk‑based audit schedule.
• Review, maintain and improve raw material specifications to meet customer and industry requirements.
• Support site Technical and Quality teams with supplier‑related issues, non‑conformances and quality improvement initiatives.
• Work with HR to identify and manage risks related to supplier ethical compliance.

Qualifications

What You’ll Bring

• A degree (or equivalent) in Food Science or a related discipline.
• A full driving licence.
• At least 5 years of experience in the food industry or a similar environment, ideally with a strong focus on supplier management.
• HACCP Level 3 qualification plus hands‑on experience with BRC compliance and audits.
• Proven experience conducting supplier audits, risk assessments and driving supplier performance.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to build trust and influence both internally and externally.
• A proactive, practical and solution‑dr mindset with the confidence to tackle supplier quality issues and deliver continuous improvement.

Additional Information

What we offer you in return

• Excellent salary
• Matched pension scheme
• Death in service
• Cycle to work scheme
• Canteen
• Retailer discount platform
• Staff discount
• And plenty more!!

Remote Work

No

Employment Type

Full‑time

Key Skills

Project / Program Management,Change Management,Succession Planning,Procurement,Program Management,ISO 9001,Lean Six Sigma,Quality Systems,Quality Management,Supplier Management,HACCP,As9100