Overview of role
Join our R&D team as an R&D Technologist and play a hands-on role in developing and improving products across our Jordans and Dorset cereals portfolio. You’ll get involved from early trials through to scale-up and launch, solving problems, spotting risks and helping us create products that consumers love and that work commercially.
Key Accountabilities
• Support and own defined R&D activities across the cereals and snacks portfolio, including product development, product improvement, technical delivery and selected packaging support.
• Develop kitchen recipes that meet consumer needs, brand guidelines and cost targets.
• Use knowledge of ingredients, products, processes, packaging formats and category benchmarks to support improvements, troubleshooting and robust technical recommendations.
• Plan, organise and run R&D production trials with Process and Operations teams, capturing learnings, resolving issues and understanding product performance at scale.
• Manage agreed activity through the stage and gate process, keeping actions, risks, timings, specifications, packaging inputs and documentation accurate and on track.
• Promote a quality first mindset and support continuous improvement across the development process.
• Carry out kitchen development work, including sample preparation, recipe upgrades and troubleshooting product or process issues.
• Maintain the R&D Kitchen to an auditable, food safe standard.
• Support sensory and consumer focused work, including research samples and internal taste panels.
• Improve the flavour, texture, quality, cost and nutritional profiles of existing products.
• Prepare for product launches and support smooth handover from development to factory.
• Participate in factory trials to ensure products can be made consistently and retain intended flavour, texture, nutrition and quality through shelf life.
• Ensure recipes and related documentation meet cost, compliance and system requirements.
• Support pack trials, artwork checks, packaging information, sample coordination and communication with Packaging or Procurement colleagues.
• Follow relevant food safety and quality procedures, including HACCP and external standards such as BRC, IFS and FEMAS.
• Support gold standard product specifications for first production and beyond.
• Work flexibly across Product Development to support workload, trials and day to day activities.
• Own agreed tasks or focus areas through to completion, keeping stakeholders updated on progress, risks and next steps.
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The Right Person
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• At least one years of relevant industry experience within food manufacturing, FMCG, R&D, product development, technical, packaging support or a related food environment.
• Strong Microsoft 365 skills, including Outlook, Teams, Excel, Word, PowerPoint and SharePoint.
• Experience managing product development tasks with limited supervision, coordinating cross functional inputs and following through to completion.
• A proactive, hands on approach, with confidence to recommend, challenge constructively, solve problems and own agreed delivery.
• Strong attention to detail, organisation and follow through, particularly in sample preparation, trial records and documentation.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills across Product Development, Process, Operations, Technical, Quality and Commercial teams.
• A strong interest in food, ingredients, consumers and product quality, with a passion for making great tasting products safely, consistently and commercially.
• Understanding of food safety, quality and good manufacturing practice, or the ability to build this knowledge quickly.
• A qualification in food science, nutrition, product development or a related discipline.
• Experience supporting factory trials, shelf life work, sensory panels or sample preparation in a food development environment.
Desirable (Not Essential)
• Experience working with cereal, snack, bakery or ambient food products.
• Exposure to packaging, pack trials or packaging specification processes within a food or FMCG environment.
• Experience using Hamilton Grant or a similar specification, recipe or product data management system.
What’s in the bowl for you?
We want you to feel supported in every part of life. That’s why, alongside your salary, we offer benefits to support your health, finance and life outside of work.
Everyday Health Support – Wellbeing that truly matters:
- Employer Funded Health Cash Plan, offering 24/7 GP access, money towards prescriptions & appointment, Mental Health + Menopause Support and more
- Rounded wellbeing support with Grocery Aid, providing 24/7 confidential help with emotional, financial, legal and caring concerns
- Mental Health First Aiders on hand and a dedicated wellbeing room in our office
Make Your Money Go Further – Rewards, savings and smart travel:
- Salary £30-34k
- Incentive/bonus opportunities for all roles – reward linked to company and personal or team results
- Competitive pension, matching up to 10%
- Salary Finance Support – affordable loans or an advance on earned pay
- Cycle to work scheme
- Octopus Electric Car Scheme
- Everyday discounts – save at 900+ retailers covering groceries, travel, tech and entertainment
- Discounted Product to enjoy at home!
Work-Life Balance You Can Feel – Flexibility for work, family and time off
- Hybrid working – work flexibly with office days shaped around role, team and business needs
- Birthday Day Off – celebrate your way
- Buy Holiday Scheme – giving you more time to switch off
- Enhanced Family + Neonatal Leave