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Senior Specifications Technologist
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Senior Specifications Technologist
Group Retailer Specification Technologist – Hetton-le-Hole, County Durham
Location
Hetton-le-Hole, County Durham, UK
Job Sectors & Details
- Sector: Food Manufacturing / Ingredients
- Job Type: Full-Time, Permanent
- Salary: Up to £40,000
- Working Arrangement: Hybrid – 4 days office-based / 1 day remote working
About the Role
A leading food manufacturing business is seeking an experienced Group Retailer Specification Technologist to join its Technical & Quality Team. This is an excellent opportunity for a specification professional with expertise in:
- Working with major UK retailers
- Product specifications
- Food labelling
- Regulatory compliance
The role involves ensuring the accurate creation, maintenance, and approval of finished product specifications and labels, while supporting compliance with food safety, legal, quality, and authenticity requirements across a diverse product portfolio.
Key Responsibilities
- Collaborate with multiple manufacturing sites and supply partners to create new product specifications and product labels.
- Develop and maintain accurate product specifications with a right-first-time approach, ensuring compliance with customer, legal, and internal standards.
- Support new product development, including:
- Creation of sample specifications
- Artwork, labelling, and approval processes
- Manage specification amendments via change control procedures, including stakeholder approval and clear communication.
- Respond to customer enquiries by gathering technical/product information and providing professional documentation.
- Coordinate certification activities for products requiring:
- Halal
- Kosher
- Organic
- Other relevant accreditations
- Monitor changes in customer requirements and UK/EU legislation, communicating updates and assessing their impact on products and processes.
- Continuously review and improve specification systems and processes to enhance compliance, efficiency, and effectiveness.
- Maintain specification records and development systems.
- Support wider teams in specification and label creation/updates across the product portfolio.
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Person Specification
Essential Qualifications & Experience
- Degree-level qualification in Food Science or a related discipline.
- Minimum 5 years’ experience in:
- Food product specification creation and maintenance
- Working with major UK retailers and retailer specification portals
- Strong understanding of:
- Food safety
- Principles of HACCP
- Quality systems and frameworks
- Knowledge of UK and/or EU food labelling legislation.
- Familiarity with food manufacturing processes, including:
- Raw materials
- Allergens
- Finished products
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Desired Skills & Attributes
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities with a logical approach.
- Ability to influence stakeholders and drive actions to completion.
- Advanced Microsoft Office skills.
- Exceptional organisational abilities, including workload prioritisation in a fast-paced environment.
- Exceptional attention to detail and strong numerical skills.
- Proactive, solution-focused mindset with a positive, can-do attitude.
- Willingness to embrace new challenges.
What’s on Offer
- Join a well-established and growing food manufacturing organisation.
- Exposure to a diverse and innovative product portfolio.
- A collaborative work environment committed to:
- Quality
- Food safety
- Continuous improvement
- Career development opportunities within a respected technical function.
Next Steps
If you’re an experienced Specification Technologist with:
- Strong retailer-facing experience
- A passion for food quality, safety, and compliance
We’d welcome your application.
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