At Whittard, we’re passionate about bringing luxury tea and coffee to our communities. We’ve been achieving this goal since 1886, and have ambitious objectives to grow our business with each role being key in delivering these. The Senior Food Technologist is an exciting opportunity to be part of this journey join the Product and Buying team at our Milton Park offices.
Reporting to the Product Manager you will provide technical support and ensure the compliance of all products supplied by Whittard in the UK and overseas. In return you’ll benefit from hybrid working, generous holiday allowance, fantastic product discounts and investments in your professional training and development.
Responsibilities
* Manage the supplier approval and risk assessment process, including the onboarding of new suppliers.
* Regularly visit suppliers, warehouses, and partners to ensure a ‘gold’ standard is consistently achieved in line with Whittard sourcing practices.
* Work closely with suppliers and food technologists to ensure all certification and technical documentation is accurate and up to date.
* Act as the point of contact for technical collaboration with third-party partners and organisations, e.g., UKTIA, ETP, CWR.
* Collaborate with the Retail Operations team to ensure full compliance e.g. act as HACCP team leader, conduct annual mock recalls, and serve as the main point of contact for any quality or food safety issues.
* Deputise for the Product Manager to represent the company on technical matters.
* Line manage and support the development of the Food technologist
About You
* A minimum of 5 years’ experience in a similar role.
* Degree in Food Science or a related subject.
* Advanced HACCP certification is desirable.
* Lead Auditor qualification is desirable.
* Experience in a retail food environment is a plus.
* Willing and flexible to travel, including overnight stays for supplier visits.
* Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
* A team player, able to work independently and manage your own workload remotely.
Benefits
* Generous holiday allowance + enjoy your birthday off
* Up to 50% store discount on Whittard products.
* Monthly product allowance.
* Auto-enrolment Pension scheme.
* Access to our wellbeing portal and Employee Assistant Programme
* Flexible working opportunities.
* Selection of family friendly benefits.
… And much much more!
Whittard of Chelsea is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We thrive to be a diverse and an inclusive organisation. We want to be a place where differences are recognised and celebrated, with a workforce that builds teams from all individualities, backgrounds, and experiences.
Together as a Whittard family, we continue to create a culture that encourages, supports, and inspires all our employees to have a voice, to make a positive difference in helping to develop our ambitious brand.