Job Description
Process Optimisation Technologist
Hellaby (Home of KP Nuts)
On-site | Monday - Friday
Join our snack-loving team
We're looking for a Process Optimisation Technologist to join us at KP Snacks. If you're ready to bring your ideas to the table, grow your skills and be part of a team that values what makes you, you – this could be your next big move.
About The Role
We're looking for a Process Optimisation Technologist to join our Quality team at Hellaby. This role plays a key part in ensuring we manufacture safe, consistent, and efficient products. Working closely with Operations, Engineering, and R&D, you'll help us optimise processes, improve equipment performance, and introduce new products with confidence.
You'll combine hands‑on factory work with structured data analysis to identify the root causes of variation, strengthen process controls, and support continuous improvement across the site. Your work will support Quality's purpose: protecting the integrity, safety, and reliability of everything we make.
If you're motivated by technical problem‑solving, enjoy collaborating across teams, and want to make a real impact on how our products are made, we'd love to hear from you.
What's in it for you?
We believe in rewarding our colleagues and helping them thrive. Here's a flavour of what we offer:
Annual bonus scheme, with a strong track record of overachievement
Comprehensive healthcare support – including Medicash Health Cash Plan or Private Healthcare, Digital GP, Best Doctors second opinion service and specialist cancer care
KP Pension Plan – contribution matching up to 7% of your salary
25 days holiday, plus the option to buy more
KP4ME – our online platform for benefits, discounts, wellbeing tools and more
What will you be doing?
Optimising manufacturing processes Analysing line performance to identify bottlenecks, waste, inefficiencies, and opportunities to strengthen process capability
Leading detailed technical investigations Using structured tools such as 5 Whys, Fishbone, DMAIC and SPC to identify root causes and support Quality-led corrective and preventive actions
Supporting new product and process introduction Working with R&D and Quality colleagues to run trials, collect data, evaluate capability, and establish clear performance windows and control parameters
Driving continuous improvement Leading or supporting site improvement activity targeting waste reduction, yield improvement, energy efficiency and process stability, contributing to Quality's continuous improvement roadmap
Maintaining compliance and technical standards Ensuring all process changes meet site, regulatory and customer requirements, and supporting audits with clear documentation and strong technical rationale
Who are we?
We're KP Snacks, part of the Intersnack family. Across more than 30 countries, over 15,000 of us work together to make the snacks people love – from Hula Hoops to McCoy's. In the UK, we're a team of around 2,400 colleagues, based across seven sites and our Slough HQ. We're proud of our close-knit culture, where we speak up, celebrate differences and push boundaries together.
We're committed to inclusion
We're building a workplace where everyone belongs. If you don't tick every box, we'd still love to hear from you – your unique perspective could be just what we need. And if there's anything we can do to make the process easier for you, just let us know.
Job requirements
We'd love to hear from you if you can bring:
Relevant technical education or experience Food science, food technology, chemical engineering or similar, or equivalent industry experience
Factory-based process engineering experience Ideally within food manufacturing and working cross‑functionally with Operations, Quality, Engineering and R&D
Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills Confident working with data, capability analysis, and process performance measures
Lean and continuous improvement experience Comfortable with tools such as 6S, time studies, line balance assessments and process mapping
A proactive, solutions‑focused mindset Able to build relationships, communicate clearly, take ownership and follow through on actions