Product & Customer Technologist

Product & Customer Technologist – Food Manufacturing (Raw Materials Co-ordinator for Meat Manufacturing) Location: South Kirkby, near Pontefract, West Yorkshire Salary: £40,000–£43,000 per annum, depending on experience Contract: Permanent, full-time Working arrangement: Factory/site-based Major Recruitment is recruiting a Product & Customer Technologist for an established meat manufacturing business near Pontefract. Reporting to the Technical Services Manager, you will help ensure raw materials meet agreed specifications and customer requirements. This is a practical role combining factory-based quality checks, supplier communication, specification management and performance reporting. The position would suit someone with experience in food manufacturing, raw-material quality or meat processing who enjoys identifying problems and working with suppliers and production teams to resolve them.

Key responsibilities

* Assess incoming raw materials against agreed purchasing specifications and quality standards. * Maintain and update approved supplier and raw-material specifications alongside the technical team. * Carry out product assessments at intake and during production, including raw-material analysis, cook-up checks and butchery assessments. * Identify materials that do not meet specifications, raise non-conformance reports or rejection notices, and communicate findings to suppliers. * Report quality findings to the Technical, Commercial and Operations teams. * Support raw-material production planning, responding to logistical challenges and changing production requirements. * Build effective supplier relationships and help improve raw-material quality and consistency. * Produce reports and analyse trends to monitor quality issues and supplier performance. * Support supplier claims and material downgrades through accurate assessment and supporting evidence. * Help production teams understand meat cuts, butchery specifications and customer requirements. * Support supplier visits, factory visits and technical audits. * Identify opportunities to improve butchery methods, packaging formats and raw-material utilisation. Essential requirements * Relevant experience in food manufacturing, food packaging or raw-meat handling. * Level 2 Food Safety qualification. * Strong attention to detail, with the ability to identify specification discrepancies and errors in data. * Good planning and organisational skills, with a structured approach to work. * Intermediate Microsoft Excel and Word skills, including reporting, graphs and data trending. * Confident communication skills and the ability to work effectively with suppliers and internal teams. * A proactive approach to problem-solving, willingness to learn and flexibility around operational requirements. Desirable experience * Knowledge of beef, lamb and pork cuts and butchery specifications. * Understanding of HACCP, VACCP and TACCP. * Experience with raw-material inspection, supplier specifications or food quality assurance. * Experience investigating non-conformances and supporting supplier improvements. To apply, submit your CV to Major Recruitment, highlighting your relevant food-sector, raw-material or meat-processing experience