Sensory Panel Leader & Quality Specialist

Carlsberg Group; Varese; Hybrid; EUR 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company canteen

Job summary

Carlsberg Italia seeks a Sensory Panel Leader & Quality Specialist for our Induno Olona site. You will lead the sensory programme, ensure reliable assessments, and drive improvements across packaging and beverage processes.

This role reports to the Quality Manager and requires strong data interpretation and team training skills. You will collaborate with regional teams, coordinate samples, train panellists, and support investigations of deviations with a safety-conscious, quality-driven

Qualifications

• Degree in life sciences, food science or a relevant technical discipline or equivalent.
• At least 3+ years in sensory analysis, quality or production within the food & beverage industry.
• Experience organizing sensory sessions in beverage/food industry; beer tasting knowledge is a plus.
• Good understanding of sensory techniques and data interpretation.
• Strong organizational, communication and interpersonal skills; able to enforce panel rules.
• Able to train and engage production colleagues.
• Proactive, collaborative across functions.
• Familiar with Excel; Power BI, Compusense and auditing techniques are a plus.
• Fluent in Italian and good working English for regional collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Plan, organise and lead sensory panel sessions, ensuring compliance with Carlsberg standards.
• Coordinate collection, preparation, storage and shipment of samples.
• Recruit, train, motivate and calibrate panellists and manage proficiency programmes.
• Ensure sessions follow safety rules and responsible alcohol practices.
• Collect, analyse and communicate sensory results to identify trends.
• Link sensory findings with production deviations and drive investigations.
• Support complaints, non-conforming products, NPD and supplier performance from a sensory quality view.
• Collaborate with regional and Group teams sharing best practices.
• Contribute to quality engineering activities and audits in B&P and Packaging.
• Support operator training and build a strong quality culture.

Skills

Sensory analysis

Quality management

Data interpretation

Training & engagement

Bev/food industry experience

Communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Degree in life sciences or related

Tools

Excel

Power BI

Compusense

Job description

Location: Induno Olona, IT

Entity / company: Carlsberg Italia

Sensory Panel Leader & Quality Specialist

You will join the Quality team at our Induno Olona Brewery and report to the Quality Manager. You will lead and continuously develop the site sensory programme, ensuring reliable assessments, a capable and engaged panel, and clear communication of results. You will also be involved in quality engineering activities, supporting the B&Pand Packaging teams in investigating process deviations and delivering continuous improvement.

What you’ll do – key responsibilities

• Plan, organise and lead sensory panel sessions, ensuring compliance with Carlsberg standards and sensory sampling plans.
• Coordinate the collection, preparation, storage and shipment of samples, including ageing samples and samples sent to central laboratories.
• Recruit, train, motivate and maintain the calibration of panellists, managing sensory capability and proficiency programmes.
• Ensure sessions are run under appropriate conditions and in line with operating rules, health and safety requirements, and responsible alcohol-consumption practices.
• Collect, analyse and communicate sensory results to identify trends and improvement opportunities.
• Connect sensory findings with production process deviations, working with the relevant teams on investigations, rootcause analysis and corrective actions.
• Support the investigation of complaints, non-conforming products, new product development and supplier performance from a sensory quality perspective.
• Collaborate with regional and Group teams and with the Carlsberg Sensory Programme, sharing and implementing best practices.
• Contribute to quality engineering activities, including quality, food safety and personal safety standards, equipment calibration, trend analysis, internal audits, hygiene programmes and continuous improvement initiatives in B&P and Packaging.
• Support operator training and help build a strong quality culture across the Brewery.

What we’re looking for

• A degree in life sciences, food science or a relevant technical disciplineor an equivalent qualification.
• At least 3+ years of experience in sensory analysis, quality or production within the food & beverage industry.
• Experience in organising sensory sessions within the beverage or food industry; knowledge of beer tasting, sensory sampling plans and relevant assessment methods would be a plus.
• A good understanding of sensory techniques and the ability to interpret and analyse data.
• Strong organisational, communication and interpersonal skills, with the confidence to enforce sensory panel operating rules.
• The ability to train and engage colleagues from production teams.
• A proactive approach, personal ownership and the ability to collaborate across functions.
• Good knowledge of Excel; familiarity with Power BI, Compusense and auditing techniques would be a plus.
• Fluency in Italian and a good working knowledge of English to collaborate with regional andGroup Quality and Sensory teams.

Workplace

Contract Type

• Permanent, CCNL Industria Alimentare, full time.
• Annual Gross Salary between € 35.000,00 and € 45.000,00 depending on the candidate’s experience.
• Company canteen.

Carlsberg Group: Brewing for a better today and tomorrow

For us success has always been in the diverse mix of our people, our beers and our brands. At Carlsberg, we want to recruit and develop people with a global mindset, cultural understanding, and international experience to ensure that our organization stays agile, inclusive and prepared for future growth. Only by acknowledging and harvesting from different perspectives and experiences, will we gain competitive advantage and leverage the effect of diversity for business growth. Carlsberg aims to create equal access to opportunity regardless of social identity, and we encourage everyone to apply regardless of gender, nationality, race, religion or any other characteristics protected by law.