Group Retailer Specification Technologist

Location: Market Harborough
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

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 strong experience working with major UK retailers, product specifications, food labelling, and regulatory compliance within a fast-paced food manufacturing environment.

The successful candidate will play a key role in 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

• Coordinate information from multiple manufacturing sites and supply partners to create new product specifications and product labels.
• Develop and maintain accurate product specifications using a right-first-time approach, ensuring compliance with customer, legal and internal standards.
• Support new product development activities, including the creation of sample specifications and participation in artwork, labelling and approval processes.
• Manage specification amendments through established change control procedures, ensuring appropriate stakeholder approval and effective communication.
• Respond to customer enquiries by gathering technical and product information from internal teams and providing professional, informative documentation.
• Support certification activities relating to products requiring Halal, Kosher, Organic and other relevant accreditations.
• Monitor changes to customer requirements and UK/EU legislation, communicating updates and assessing potential impacts on products and processes.
• Continuously review and improve specification systems and processes to ensure compliance, efficiency and effectiveness.
• Maintain specification records and development systems.
• Support wider specification teams with the creation and maintenance of specifications and labels across the product portfolio.

Person Specification

The ideal candidate will possess:

• Degree-level qualification in Food Science or a related discipline.
• Minimum of 5 years' experience in food product specification creation and maintenance.
• Proven experience working directly with major UK retailers and retailer specification portals.
• Strong understanding of food safety, HACCP principles and quality systems.
• Knowledge of UK and/or EU food labelling legislation.
• Good understanding of food manufacturing processes, raw materials, allergens and finished products.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities with a logical approach.
• The ability to influence stakeholders and drive actions to completion.
• Advanced Microsoft Office skills.
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to prioritise workload in a fast-paced environment.
• Exceptional attention to detail and strong numerical skills.
• A proactive, solution-focused mindset with a positive, can-do attitude and willingness to embrace new challenges.

What's on Offer

• Opportunity to join a well-established and growing food manufacturing organisation.
• Exposure to a diverse and innovative product portfolio.
• Collaborative working environment focused on quality, food safety and continuous improvement.
• Career development opportunities within a respected technical function.

If you are an experienced Specification Technologist with strong retailer-facing experience and a passion for food quality, safety and compliance, we would welcome your application.