Senior Food Technologist London, England
Job description
M&S Food is changing, and fast! We are undergoing one of the biggest transformations in retailing today to build a bigger, better, fresher food business.
From Percy Pig to the freshest M&S Select Farms produce, we grow, source, and develop our own products to give our customers family-ready food that's unbeatable on flavour and innovation.
We need motivated people who are ready to bring their whole self to work and give it their all in a fast-paced team committed to being the best. After all, this is not just food… This is M&S Food.
An exciting opportunity to work in the Technical Innovation team at M&S who are renowned for brilliant technical innovation and market firsts. This role will continue to identify, assess and prove the concept of new technical innovation and ensure it is delivered to step change our offer and maintain a market leading position.
Working in the New science and Technology team, this role has the freedom to explore and assess innovation and concepts in the market. Critically reviewing opportunities and building a plan to trial, commercialise and deliver true technical innovation to be market leading and step change our product offer.
Working alongside subject matter authorities such as agronomists, packaging technologists, nutritionists, technologists and product developers, this role will lead on key pillars of our innovation pipeline; Alternative proteins; manufacturing of the future; factory design of the future; robotic and automation. It is an excitingly broad role that will involve the engagement with Think tanks, government bodies, start ups, suppliers, category teams and equipment designers.
If you have a scientific mind, an interest in food science and technology and a desire to lead at the forefront on technical innovation, this role is for you.
Key accountabilities and Measures
Build and maintain relationships and projects with Start Ups, Equipment Manufacturers, Suppliers and Government bodies
Be a point of contact for the technical team to raise problems that require an innovative solution and subsequent delivery
Deliver the alternative protein strategy to build a sustainable product offer for the future to allow customer choice
Set and drive the ‘factory of the future’ strategy
Be an advocate for innovation within the Technical team
Identify innovative solutions to the food groups identified challenges
Update Technical leadership and Food leadership teams with progress along the Innovation pipeline
Develop product concepts and action plans based on your access to knowledge and build into the business case development
Engage the Heads of Technology to ensure there is a clear differentiation between their local NPD and innovation strategy, identifying opportunities for the Innovation Hub to support with cross foods group projects or ad hoc category projects
Present findings to a wide range of senior stakeholders and influence decision-making as well as working closely with the multidisciplinary Innovation Hub team
Formulate delivery plans for, and mobilise, new business development or innovation opportunities with the wider team
Key Skills
You are passionate about New Science and Technology
You have a Food science knowledge base that allows you to critically assess the feasibility of technical innovation opportunities
You are a practical problem solver and seek to resolve issues in an innovative way
You have strong influencing skills to enable complex projects to land in stores/factories
You have Leadership and communication skills that allow you to build and articulate innovations strategies
You have a broad network and maintain strong relationships that are mutually beneficial to all parties
You value the importance of a science based approach to trials and development
You have stakeholder management as a critical skill
You have strong project management skills and can juggle numerous responsibilities and projects at the same time
You have a flexible, forward thinking and agile mentality, delivering against project timescales and objectives
You are resilient and continue to drive areas you believe there is opportunity in when you have setbacks
You are a self-starter, are comfortable working independently in identifying and assessing opportunities, and can bring that back to the business and inspire excitement in others
Ideally experience in alternative protein, robotics and automation, factory design and food production environments or the ability to upskill quickly
M&S is ready to push boundaries to lead the retail industry into a greener, speedier, more inspiring digital era. That’s why we’re revolutionising how we work and offering our most exciting opportunities yet. There’s never been a better time to be part of our team. Marks & Spencer aims to be an inclusive organisation, trusted and admired by our colleagues, customers and suppliers. Join us and make an immediate impact.
We are committed to an active Inclusion, Diversity and Equal Opportunities Policy, which starts with our recruitment and selection process, and we are happy to talk flexible working.
If you consider yourself to require reasonable adjustments to any part of our recruitment process, we invite you to share those requirements with us when completing your application. We will make every effort to ensure your needs are met to provide a fair and transparent process of assessment.
