Ingredient Technical Manager London en-GB

Here at innocent, we are on a mission to make it easier for everyone to get more fruit and veg into their bodies. We started back in 1999 and since then we have gone from selling a few smoothies at a music festival to becoming one of Europe’s biggest drinks companies with around 1,000 people (and the B Corp seal of approval). We want to show everyone that it is possible to be a successful business while looking after people and the planet too, so we are trying to get better in pretty much every way. And that is where this job comes in.

We care deeply about doing things properly. That means high standards for quality, food safety and sustainability, and a big ambition: to source 100% of our ingredients sustainably by 2030. We are looking for an experienced Technical Manager to join our Fruit Technical Team, which sits within our Supply team.

You will help make sure that all our fruit and veg ingredients are safe, top quality and responsibly sourced. You will work closely with suppliers around the world, get stuck into the detail, and help us spot smarter, more sustainable ways of doing things. More specifically:

• Look after the food safety, quality and sustainability of a basket of fruit and veg ingredients
• Visit farms and factories around the world to carry out technical assessments (expect trips of a week or so, a few times a year)
• Carry out supplier and internal audits, helping everyone stay on track and improve
• Own the technical detail, including risk assessments, specifications, quality attribute sheets and due diligence testing programmes
• Build strong supplier relationships, using clear KPIs and honest conversations
• Support our carbon-reduction work, including scaling regenerative farming through our Farmer Innovation Fund
• Be an ambassador for our fruit and veg, championing quality and sustainability wherever you go

You will have:

• Experience working as a Food Technologist or Technical Manager, with responsibility for quality, food safety, legality and sustainability (raw materials or finished products)
• Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to spot trends, get to root causes and make good decisions when things feel a bit ambiguous
• A decision-making style that considers the whole business, putting drinkers and responsibility at the heart while keeping a practical, commercial mindset
• A willingness to travel internationally
• Curiosity, and a genuine interest in continuous improvement
• Experience leading audits
• Food safety knowledge, for example a HACCP Level 3 qualification

You will get:

• The chance to work with some of the best-tasting fruit and veg in the world, sourced responsibly
• Opportunities to travel internationally and get close to our growers and suppliers
• A key role in shaping our ingredient resilience and innovation plans for the future
• A supportive, purpose-driven culture where you are encouraged to ask questions, share ideas and make a difference

We want innocent to be a great place to work, so we do lots of stuff to make people feel at home and try to make sure everyone’s career is shaping up the way they want it to. There are plenty of opportunities to have a go at something new or take things further. In exchange for helping us do business in the right way, you will get a solid rewards package that includes a salary, private health care, a target-based bonus, and a bunch of other nice things like a day off on your birthday. And yes, you get free smoothies.

We also know that not all our drinkers come from the same background, or think the same – so why should we? At innocent, we want to be a great place to work where a diverse bunch of people from all backgrounds can turn up and thrive. When we hire, we want all the juice, bits, and pulp that make you who you are.

Even if you don’t think you can tick all the boxes, if the job sounds right for you, come and throw your hat in the ring.