Food Technologist

Rich’s, also known as Rich Products Corporation, is a family-owned food company dedicated to inspiring possibilities. From cakes and icings to pizza, appetizers and specialty toppings, our products are used in homes, restaurants and bakeries around the world. Beyond great food, our customers also gain insights to help them stay competitive, no matter their size. Our portfolio includes creative solutions geared at helping food industry professionals compete in foodservice, retail, in-store bakery, deli, and prepared foods, among others. Working in 100 locations globally, with annual sales exceeding $4 billion, Rich’s is a global leader with a focus on everything that family makes possible. Rich’s®—Infinite Possibilities. One Family.

**PURPOSE STATEMENT**:

- Manage all customer finished product and process specifications through customer portals, DX 365 and Rich’s internal specification formats.
- Supporting NPD team with trials and customer site visits ensuring finished products and NPD products comply with customer’s requirements, food legislation and regulations.
- To ensure products manufactured are safe, legal and comply to customers quality standards.

**KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES/OUTCOMES**:

- Maintaining customer specification databases and ensuring all required product and process data is available and up to date.
- Support FSQA Manager - Plant with Formula/BOM approval in DX365.
- Bar code set up to international standard and sign off by customers.
- Ensure all finished products comply with the intended trading market food legislation and regulations.
- Support product development projects by attending customer meeting, trial with the Process Manager and collecting product information and establish specification tolerance on product attribute for internal product manual and customer specification / QAS.
- Review raw material and packaging specification for new product development and existing products to ensure compliance with customer NPD guidelines/code of practice, food legislations and regulations.
- Support Process Manager to ensure accurate factory product manual and QAS are created and reflect agreed customer QAS.
- Ensure Product Manual and QAS are kept updated with any changes.
- Create new product specification within the require timescale and ensure all required documentation is completed and attached.
- Liaise with Quality Technician to arrange samples for customer nutritional, microbiological and environmental testing to comply with customers’ requirements and update customer data base accordingly.
- Ongoing monitoring of product quality; perform internal benchmarking sessions with the technical team on monthly basis and on regular basis external sessions with customers.
- Conduct Weekly Quality Panels with support of Quality Technicians and FSQA Manager - Customer.
- Coordinate activities to ensure successful launch of new products, including, issue of product manuals, case label & flow wrap set up, micro/chem testing requirements, sample requirements, metal detector & checkweigher programs.
- Ensure product information is accurate and meets customer and regulatory requirements on artwork and specifications.
- Conduct routine review of product specifications to ensure they remain accurate and comply with customer standards.
- Support to BRC and other site audits as and when required.
- Support site technical team on technical projects.
- Any other activities / projects as deemed appropriate by the Company.

You must comply with Rich Products Limited Health and Safety policies and procedures at all times

**KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS/EXPERIENCE**:
Critical
- BRC & Retailer Standard Experiences
- Experience as a Specifications Technologist within the food manufacturing industry. (Gold standard trained)
- Experience of Specification or Recipe Database management systems such as Oracle, Hamilton Grant, TraceOne, e.g. M&S Find, Tesco TQC, ASDA Hive, WR Product Pathway, JS Evolve, HARA, Starbucks Smart Supplier, Costa Picasso.
- UK & EU Labelling (FIR) & Food Safety Regulation
- GS1 barcode system
- Retail artwork approval system
- Food safety (HACCP Level 3)
- Appreciation of ingredient functionality
- Allergen Requirement & Label & Control

Desirable
- Good standard of numeric and literacy
- Effective Communication and Influencing Skills.
- Computer literate including experience with Microsoft office packages
- Bill of material experience or formula input
- Baking industry experience
- Label translation to EU languages
- HND or Degree qualified (science / food science discipline)