Join the Future of Fast Food: Senior Food Technologist Role!
Website itsu
Join the Future of Fast Food: Senior Food Technologist Role!
Are you a technical expert with a passion for Asian-inspired cuisine and best-in-class food safety? We are currently looking for a talented Senior Food Technologist to join our itsu [grocery] team in London. In this pivotal role, you will take ownership of the quality, safety, and authenticity of our products while driving a robust food safety culture across our thriving grocery categories. Indeed, if you possess a degree in food science and at least three years of experience in the industry, this is your chance to help lead a global healthy-eating brand!
About itsu [grocery]
itsu is a renowned healthy-eating brand with over 70 stores in the UK and a rapidly expanding grocery business across Europe and beyond. We take the itsu brand into supermarkets, wholesale, and international markets with popular products like frozen gyoza, bao, brilliant’broth, and crispy seaweed thins. Furthermore, we combine innovation and technology to ensure our Asian-inspired food remains the future of fast food.
Scope of the Role
As our Senior Food Technologist, you will ensure the legality and authenticity of our grocery products and manage supplier performance. Specifically, your mission involves continuous improvement to maintain the highest food safety standards. You will also play a key role in helping the Technical team maintain its AA Grade certification against the BRC Agents & Brokers standard.
Key Responsibilities:
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Supplier Management: You will work with the Category Technical Manager to approve and onboard new suppliers.
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Product Monitoring: You will support surveillance testing, covering micro, chemical, and nutritional validation, along with shelf-life and organoleptic testing.
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Investigation: You will lead investigations into complaints or out-of-specification test results for low and medium-risk issues. Consequently, you will identify root causes and implement preventative actions.
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NPD & EPD Support: You will manage the technical elements of New Product Development, ensuring testing for cooking instructions and shelf life stays on schedule.
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Production Oversight: You will attend production trials and first productions to ensure quality standards.
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Specification Management: You will complete and maintain accurate product specifications for both new and existing ranges.
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Labelling Compliance: You will review and approve legal labelling artwork to ensure it meets itsu brand standards and government regulations.
The Ideal Candidate
We are seeking a proactive professional who meets the following criteria:
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Experience: You have at least 3 years of experience in a food safety and technical role within manufacturing or retail.
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Education: You hold a degree-level qualification in food science or a related science field.
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Attention to Detail: You possess excellent attention to detail and a proactive work ethic.
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Teamwork: You enjoy working individually as well as part of a small, dedicated team.
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Passion: You have a genuine love for food and a particular interest in Asian-inspired flavors.
What We Offer
We believe in rewarding our talent with a comprehensive benefits package:
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Financial: A competitive salary and a competitive bonus scheme.
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Time Off: 25 days of holiday plus bank holidays (with flexibility for religious holidays).
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Work-Life Balance: Hybrid working (2 days work-from-home) and the opportunity to work from abroad.
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Health & Security: Health insurance and a company pension scheme.
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Employee Perks: A 50% discount in itsu shops and free itsu lunch! 🍱
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Additional Benefits: Discounts at major retailers, plus salary sacrifice cycle and electric vehicle schemes.
Diversity & Inclusion Statement
itsu [grocery] is committed to building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization. Therefore, we encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply. Importantly, we practice anonymous recruitment. When applying, please remove your full name, school name, address, email, and photos from your CV. Otherwise, non-anonymized CVs may not be reviewed.
Would you like me to help you draft an anonymous version of your CV to meet these specific application requirements?
