Senior Food Technologist

We’re En Route. We’re a welcoming bunch, with a down-to-earth outlook that helps build lasting relationships with customers and colleagues alike. As global specialists in passenger solutions, supply chain services and sourcing for airlines and airline caterers, we operate globally as part of dnata, one of the world’s largest combined air services providers. En Route’s expertise is one of the many reasons why we’ve enjoyed more than 20 years as a global food solutions partner, with offices in the UK, USA, Australia and UAE. Are you ready to become part of our story?

Job Purpose

The Senior Food Technologist will provide essential support to category technologists and manage critical technical activities across various projects. Your responsibilities will include overseeing factory trials, first productions, audits, complaint management, and ensuring artwork compliance, among other tasks. Additionally, you will play a key role in managing and approving our supplier base, ensuring that specifications are accurate and up to date. You will also investigate non-conformances and collaborate as an integral member of the food safety team to enhance and improve the quality management system across all regions. Reporting directly to the Head of Technical, you will work closely with procurement, NPD, and operations/sales teams across our global offices. As Senior Food Technologist, you will provide mentorship and guidance to junior team members to support their professional growth while aligning their work with broader business goals. Your expertise will be critical in maintaining high food safety and quality standards across the Technical team and the organisation.

Key Responsibilities

• Drive continuous improvements to the Quality Management System (QMS), ensuring global consistency in food safety and quality standards.
• Manage the supplier base, ensuring due diligence and overseeing the technical aspects of the supplier approval and risk assessment program.
• Collaborate closely with both internal and external stakeholders to ensure all requirements are met.
• Provide expert technical support to category technologists in managing and executing factory trials, first production runs, and audits.
• Lead the creation and timely publishing of product technical specifications for global projects, ensuring verification and approval.
• Keep the technical specification portal updated for customer access.
• Support the investigation of non-conformances, ensuring a proactive, timely response with detailed reports and effective corrective and preventative actions.
• Coordinate the surveillance program, conducting routine checks based on product, supplier, and customer risk ratings.
• Create quality attribute sheets for all ER-branded products and high-profile/high-volume lines, in collaboration with suppliers.
• Provide trend analysis on complaints and supplier performance for the wider team.
• Be an active member of the food safety team.
• Travel within the UK and internationally as needed for site visits and audits (Essential Requirement).
• Ensure all packaging complies with labelling legislation in relevant regions (EU/UK, US, AUS).
• Maintain up-to-date artwork reference documentation and approve final artwork.
• Undertake any other duties which may from time to time be assigned.

Person Specification

• A degree in food science/technology or a related science.
• Previous experience of working in the travel sector in a supervisory quality/technical role of a food manufacturer or flight caterer.
• People management experience desirable; management of an individual or small team may be required as we grow.

Knowledge & Skills

• Good understanding of GFSI standards, HACCP/TACCP/VACCP and labelling legislation.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong IT and report writing skills.
• Good organisational skills.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Ability to prioritise workload, multitask and work to deadlines.
• Ability to work on own initiative and with multiple stakeholders.
• Flexible to take on extra and varied tasks when required.
• Enjoy working in a fast-paced environment and able to prioritise effectively.
• Proactive and quick thinking in solving problems.
• Have a positive attitude with a strong passion for what you do.