NPD Lab Technician (12 months fixed-term)

Who We Are

Science In Sport Group is a world leader in sports and performance nutrition.

The Role

• Contract: Fixed-term
• Salary: Up to £30,000 per annum
• Working Hours: 9am – 5.30pm, Monday to Friday
• Location: Blackburn (this is a fully on‑site role)

Benefits

• On‑site gym
• Cycle to work scheme
• Product discount
• Birthday day off
• Pension scheme, employer contribution at 4%

The work – Your 4 most important responsibilities

• Product Development Execution
  • Prepare and iterate bench‑top samples across powders, gels, and bars
  • Progress formulations independently based on defined briefs
  • Deliver multiple sample iterations with clear rationale and recommendations
  • Conduct and manage taste panels to a high standard
  • Evaluate all samples independently and form clear product opinions
  • Capture structured feedback and translate into actionable improvements
• Lab Ownership
  • Own and maintain the lab environment, ensuring it is organised, stocked, and operationally efficient
  • Manage ingredients, materials, and sample inventory
  • Ensure all work is conducted to GMP and food safety standards
  • Work with flavour houses and ingredient suppliers to source and test new inputs
  • Support ingredient evaluation and benchmarking
• Documentation & Reporting
  • Maintain accurate records of formulations, trials, and outcomes
  • Present findings clearly to the NPD team with recommendations
• Proactive Development
  • Identify opportunities to improve existing products through iteration
  • Conduct exploratory sample work where relevant to support innovation

Accountability – what you are responsible for delivering

• End‑to‑End Samples Development – ownership of preparing, iterating, and delivering high‑quality product samples across all formats (powders, gels, bars), from initial brief through to optimised recommendation
• Product Evaluation & Insight Generation – ownership of tasting, assessing, and recommending the best‑performing formulations, supported by structured taste panel data and clear rationale
• Lab Ownership & Readiness – full ownership of the lab environment, ensuring it is organised, stocked, and fully operational at all times, with no delays to development caused by poor set‑up or missing materials
• Accurate Documentation & Traceability – responsible for maintaining clear, accurate, and reproducible records of all formulations, trials and outcomes
• Progression of Development Work – accountability for moving development work forward independently, ensuring briefs are translated into tangible outputs without requiring constant direction

Capability – the skills and behaviours required to do this job well

• 1–3 years’ experience in food technology, product development, or lab‑based roles
• Degree in Food Science, Nutrition, or related field (preferred, not essential)
• Strong hands‑on lab skills and attention to detail
• Ability to work independently and progress work without close supervision
• Confidence in forming opinions and making product recommendations
• Organised, structured, and comfortable managing multiple workstreams

Performance – how you will know you are doing a great job

• Consistently delivers accurate, well‑prepared sample iterations on time, with clear improvements between versions
• Provides confident, well‑reasoned recommendations on sample quality and direction, without relying on others to decide
• Taste panels are organised, executed and analysed to a high standard, producing clear, actionable insights
• Lab environment is consistently organised, stocked, and ready to run – with accurate records and no delays caused by poor set‑up
• Takes briefs and progresses proactively, delivering outcomes without needing close supervision

Attributes – experience and mindset that will enable you to do well in this role

• Key Behaviours
  • Takes ownership of work and follows through without prompting
  • Applies judgement rather than waiting for direction
  • Proactively improves processes and outputs
  • Maintains high standards in both execution and documentation

Science in Sport Group is an equal opportunity employer; we value diversity and strive to cultivate an inclusive workplace. We do not tolerate discrimination of any kind in regard to race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, marital status or any other characteristic protected by law. We fully support reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment process, to provide an inclusive and welcoming recruitment experience.