Research & Development Technician

Application Deadline: 20 October 2023 Department: New Product Development Location: Andover

Description

Great People Work Here.

Are you searching for a career with bags of variety, in an environment that celebrates differences and empowers collaboration, which values individuals and will encourage you to make an impact? Do you want the freedom to explore, and the opportunities to find new ways and to innovate? If so, TwiningsOvo delivers.

We’re looking for people who don’t just come here to get the job done, but who have a real passion for the brand and a desire to do the best job they can. In return, we offer an inspiring package of employee benefits - to show just how much we value you. This role will offer you the scope for growth and the tools to aim high.

The aim of the Research and Development (R&D) Team, within Twinings NPD, is to drive commercial growth by creating technical opportunities and building them into great tasting, healthy beverages, driving competitive advantage for Twinings. We strive to create consumer delighting holistic innovation that delivers new and desired consumer experience, while unlocking technical insights for consumer compelling product ideas, stories and claims. The R&D Technician will help deliver this by supporting new product development across the Twinings portfolio. A key focus will be on ensuring the smooth and safe running of the NPD laboratory

Key Responsibilities

• Leads creation, implementation and training of all NPD lab policies including sample requesting, stock control, ingredient sourcing and storage. Ensures that Twinings’ NPD lab processes are world class in terms of driving efficiency of resource, safety and stand out product quality and consumer appeal.
• Day to day management of NPD Laboratory, ensuring the safe and effective running of the lab, with clear food safety and health and safety policies in place – these should be well communicated and followed by all who use the lab. Acts as single point of contact for day-to-day NPD lab demands i.e. sample manufacture, week to week resourcing.
• Support NPD Managers & Technologists making up new product samples for blend developments and consumer testing.
• Ensure that all lab equipment is maintained, risk assessed, serviced, and calibrated, following clear and agreed schedules.
• Proactively manage lab ingredient stocks, ensuring that key NPD ingredients are stocked, within shelf life, and stored appropriately.
• Management and implementation of internal lab audit schedule with clear records for areas of focus and corrective actions needed.
• Implement and maintain clear allergen policy in NPD Lab.
• Set up and lead product tastings where required.
• Support NPD Managers and Technologists in running blend tests on new products and ingredients.
• Support NPD Food Safety & Quality Manager to complete product testing plans where required.
• Responsible for management and documentation of internal blend testing. Assist in the smooth transfer of products from lab to factory trials and introducing new products into full scale manufacturing.
• Responsible for new ingredient and blend shelf-life testing programme.
• Lead some end-to-end development projects, including coordination of buyers, regulatory, other developers, herbalists and global marketeers to deliver great tasting blends to a defined project timeline.
• Lead formulation and creation of commercially viable product recipes to comply with agreed specifications using materials, such as herbs, flavours, wellbeing ingredients and other potential new beverage ingredients.
• Provide technical lab expertise to enable NPD managers and technologists to develop bespoke blends for different markets and technologies.
• Supporting NPD managers and developers with development of new blends to meet sensory and cost requirements on some NPD projects and proactive workstreams.
• Work closely with internal stakeholders including raw material sourcing, quality, ethical and regulatory teams to ensure ingredients and products meet the correct standards in terms of quality and commercial considerations.