Graduate - Process Technologist

**Graduate - Process Technologist**
This role is be based at our Kinmel site where the primary technologies are Baking, Semi Moist Treat manufacture and Fresh Meat Handling and Processing including Retorting.

Our Tail so far.
Inspired Pet Nutrition (IPN) is home to the Harringtons and Wagg pet food brands. Our purpose is centred around having Healthy Pets, Happy Owners whilst ensuring our nutritious, high quality pet foods are affordable to all. To enable us to do this we need the right recipe of; ambitious, forward-thinking people who love pets as much as we do, great manufacturing facilities and quality materials.

General Overview and Accountabilities
As a Pet Food Graduate Product & Process Technologist, you’ll be responsible for championing our products working to constantly improve their quality and working to optimise our processes to make the best product as efficiently as possible. You will also be a supporting link between the Nutrition and Marketing Teams and the production line, with responsibility for making sure that new products make a smooth transition from trial and testing stages to full production.

You will ensure that trial factory production runs take place with the outcomes reported to all relevant staff. You’ll identify any critical issues, make recommendations for improvements, measure yields and throughputs and make sure that everything complies with quality, safety and customer expectations. You will research and keep abreast of existing and new technologies and materials
- either in support of a new product launch or to make improvements to current production processes.

Key Responsibilities
- Conducting ongoing investigations into production processes and making recommendations for improvements to achieve products of a consistent excellent quality.
- Taking responsibility for the development of new products from initial concept through to successful production launch, ensuring that exceptional product is achieved throughout the entire process
- Ensuring all work meets in-house and customer standards for quality and safety
- Scheduling and managing production line trials and revaluations making sure that everything goes to plan
- Supporting initial production runs and being available to trouble shoot and provide expert advice if necessary
- Ensuring all products are costed thoroughly after production trials and prior to full production by providing accurate product and process parameters to the finance team.
- Building strong relationships with Nutrition, Marketing, Production and other staff who will be involved with the development process.
- Understanding company production processes and flagging up any potential problems to the Project Development Team at an early stage
- Selecting and sourcing new ingredients required for new product launches; liaising with procurement to ensure that all incoming stock for production trials is in place
- Ensuring that operating procedures and specifications are written correctly for each new product or process change and available to relevant staff

Person Specification and Expected Behaviours
You will be expected to become familiar with our company’s manufacturing processes and products.
You’ll need to be motivated, enthusiastic and able to take and overcome problems in your stride - you’ll be the sort of person who makes sure the job gets done whatever it takes.
You’ll be able to record and interpret complex data and make recommendations based on your conclusions and have excellent computer skills and be able to communicate well both in written and verbal formats.
This job requires someone who is very well organised, able to see the big picture while still focusing on the smaller day-to-day facets of a project to make sure that new products launch successfully.
You will also need to understand how products are costed accurately so that you can contribute appropriate and correct data to the finance team to ensure the businesses profit margins are achieved.
The nature of the job will require you to spend extended periods of time on the production floor particularly during product launches and this may require working outside of normal office hours including early or late starts or some weekends. However, you will also need to move comfortably between office and factory environments.

**Qualifications**:

- Bachelor’s Degree, preferably within an Engineering, Manufacturing or Science based degree but graduates from all courses will be considered
- Must be able to travel to the site in Kinmel
- You must be enthusiastic to work in as many areas of the business as possible
- You must be able to adapt quickly in new roles and environments Strong IT skills particularly MS Excel (IT qualification preferable)
- You must be from a food tech background or similar industry
- You must have an understanding of food and be comfortable putting together recipes etc for trails

We will support you in gaining the necessary specialist skills and