Development - Senior Development Technologist in Salisbury

We have an opportunity for a Senior Development Technologist to join our Development team at our Nicholas & Harris site as part of Finsbury Food Group. Nicholas & Harris has over 180 years of heritage in craft baking methods. If you’re passionate about artisanal, organic, and speciality breads — including products tailored to specific dietary or nutritional needs — our Salisbury bakery has you covered.

Finsbury Food Group is a leading speciality bakery manufacturer, continuously raising quality and efficiency standards while building long‑term relationships within the foodservice channel. We offer a wide range of bakery products and are a leading frozen supplier into the Foodservice sector.

The Senior Development Technologist will play a key role in supporting bakery innovation by developing, producing, and delivering high‑quality product samples at pace. Working within a positive, close‑knit bakery kitchen environment, you’ll collaborate with multiple internal teams and customers to bring new and improved products to life. The Senior Development Technologist will work as part of the development team to develop and innovate new products and processes, ensuring our bakery products are produced and delivered effectively to the satisfaction of our customers.

This is a fast‑paced role, where the successful candidate will have excellent organisational and communication skills. They will have worked in a similar development position innovating new products and processes in response to customer briefs to maintain and grow a creative catalogue of products for our customers. With great attention to detail, they will present new product and process facts and ideas clearly, accurately and persuasively to customers internally and externally and cross function.

This role is based at our Salisbury site; however, a willingness to travel is required as the Senior Development Technologist may occasionally visit our other sites. This is a great opportunity for someone to gain experience with one of the UK’s largest bakery businesses. They’ll work closely with a friendly and engaging team from both a site and group perspective, offering opportunities for growth and long‑term career development.

What you’ll actually do

• As the Senior Development Technologist, you will be responsible for the day‑to‑day development of new bakery products, with a primary focus on sourdough and hot cross buns.
• You will apply your technical knowledge and product development expertise to create innovative products that meet internal quality standards, customer specifications, and commercial objectives.
• Working closely with customers, you will translate product briefs into commercially successful launches, ensuring products meet quality, cost, and margin requirements.
• You will collaborate with cross‑functional site teams, including Production, Technical, Operations, and Commercial, to ensure products are developed efficiently and are scalable for manufacture.
• You will monitor and benchmark product quality of new and existing products and raise issues with the development manager.
• You will work on critical path plans, organise and control resources to deliver products and processes to an agreed quality and timescale.

Ideally this is you

• Degree preferred in Food science / technology or similar degree / HND equivalent or relevant experience.
• Proven experience in bakery product development, with strong knowledge and hands‑on experience of sourdough products.
• Experience with hot cross buns and other fermented bakery products is highly desirable.
• Computer literate – computer skills and knowledge of word and excel systems.
• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel when required.
• Basic Food Hygiene Certificate as a minimum; higher‑level food hygiene qualifications are advantageous.

What's in it for you

• Enhanced Maternity & Paternity Leave to allow quality time with your new arrival!
• Enhanced Pension Scheme for our employees.
• Free Employee Assistance Programme (open to colleagues and their families).
• Retail discounts accessible via our Benefits Hub platform!
• Company shop available at sites (heavily discounted, yummy products!).
• Refer a Friend Scheme (up to £300 per referral – t&cs dependent).
• Employee Recognition Awards.
• Extensive Learning & Development opportunities (including opportunities for sponsored professional memberships and our own in‑house development course!).
• An opportunity to be part of a fantastic, growing organisation.

Our vision is to be the leading specialty bakery group in the UK and we want the best people in place to achieve this. Our continued success is built entirely on the talented people who work here, so employee development is important to us because everyone is a valued member of the team, and we want every individual to have the skills and capabilities to achieve both your own personal goals and our business goals. We want good people to join our company, to help our company continue to go from strength to strength. If this sounds like you, please get in contact to learn more!