Senior Food Technologist

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Job Description

As the technical product specialist in your category, you will maintain our reputation of being the UKs most trusted retailer. Working closely with our supply base and category teams, you will drive the category growth plans to help craft the strategic direction.

The role is hugely varied, and no two days are the same! You will lead on the quality, innovation, food safety, integrity, ethical and sustainability credentials of our products and work with passionate colleagues to continuously learn and step change our product ranges.

Using your technical knowledge, expertise and judgement you'll ensure the consistent delivery of innovative, high quality, safe, and legal products, which meet our M&S brand values, ensuring categories deliver their sales and profit targets. You'll identify and manage the delivery of strategic technical initiatives and be accountable for key technical workstreams. You'll use your knowledge and skills not only to deliver innovative technical solutions to continue to drive sales and customer satisfaction but also to aid your colleagues to deliver category business unit objectives.

We have a flexible / hybrid approach - talk to us about part time or job share opportunities in this role, if it's meaningful to you, it's important to us.

What's in it for you

Being a part of M&S is exactly that - becoming a part and playing your part. We're an inclusive, dynamic, exciting, and always evolving business built on core values.

Here are some of the benefits we offer that make working for M&S just that little bit more special...

• 20% Colleague discount on most things from furniture, fashion and food.
• A first-class welcome to M&S with a tailored induction and a wide range of training schemes to help with your learning and development. Having options to progress is something we're proud of at M&S.
• Attractive annual bonus, based on company performance and personal objectives.
• Competitive holiday entitlement with the potential to buy extra holiday days!
• Amazing perks and discounts via our M&S Choices website. Including GymSave - that offers up to 25% off Gym Memberships and the option to become an M&S Shareholder using our ShareSave & ShareBuy Schemes
• Charity Volunteer Day - A paid day away from work to support your chosen charity.
• A very generous Defined Contribution Pension Scheme and Life Assurance

What you'll do

Your key accountabilities will include

• Working with our suppliers to ensure products are made safely to agreed standards
• Work with the category team development of innovative products and setting of quality standards
• Build and deliver research and innovation plans driving new product development
• Ensure product quality is continually monitored and maintained, developing action plans with suppliers to step change quality performance where required

Who you are

Your skills and experience will include

• Degree level technical qualification in an appropriate subject
• Proven experience within the food sector
• Where appropriate to hold an externally recognised professional competence (e.g., FIFST, MIFST)

Everyone's welcome

M&S is ready to push boundaries to lead the retail industry into a greener, speedier, more inspiring digital era. That's why we're revolutionising how we work and offering our most exciting opportunities yet. There's never been a better time to be part of our team. Marks & Spencer aims to be an inclusive organisation, trusted and admired by our colleagues, customers and suppliers. Join us and make an immediate impact.

We're an in-person business and have core collaboration days in our Support Centre each week. For most teams, this is 3 working days where we come together to collaborate, innovate, and serve our customers brilliantly.

We are committed to an active Inclusion, Diversity and Equal Opportunities Policy, which starts with our recruitment and selection process, and we are happy to talk flexible working.

If you consider yourself to require reasonable adjustments to any part of our recruitment process, we invite you to share those requirements with us when completing your application. We will make every effort to ensure your needs are met to provide a fair and transparent process of assessment.

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