At Yeo Valley, we’ve been making delicious, organic dairy products for over 50 years. As a family-run business, we believe in doing things the right way – sustainably, ethically, and with people at the heart of what we do. Under the direction of the Innovation Manager, as the Innovation Technologist you will support in the launching & evaluating of new & exist ing products in the following categories (yogurt, ice cream, desserts, savoury & fruit). The main areas of focus are: Supporting Innovation Manager in practical concept work Researching new raw material and packaging innovations Recipe formulation knowledge across multiple categories This role is critical in shaping the future of the Yeo Valley Product Portfolio. Below are some of the key responsibilities for this role: Assist in the co-ordination, production and delivery of kitchen samples Supporting with customer presentations, support with arranging of samples, lunches and displays Support with market reviews & product benchmarking to analyse competitor products to help identify new trends, opportunities and insights Research new raw materials and packaging ideas that are “on trend” and share with the wider innovation team To assist in the generation of the critical path and delivery of projects that meets the target launch date Prepare & maintain accurate documentation related to innovation development Support in the creation of the customer pack and liaise with process teams on new concepts to ensure effectiveness and consistency in the transfer from concept to scale-up As part of total team, responsible for hygiene of kitchen and stock rotation of ingredients This role is based at our Crewkerne site and is a full-time role, working 40 hours per week. Sounds interesting, what do I need? Essential: Teamwork – Ability to work well with a collaborative, cross-functional team environment. Problem solving – Proactive and hands-on approach to trouble shooting Communication - Good verbal & written communication skills Qualifications: Food qualification or previous related food manufacturing experience in Innovation Post graduate role Desirable Skills: Industry Knowledge - Working knowledge of relevant legislation criteria and food production industry standards/HACCP Personal Attributes: Detail-Oriented – Attention to detail in both product development and documentation Adaptability – Able to work in a fast-paced environment and adjust to changing priorities & project timelines.Resilience and supporting others are key Tenacious & “can do” attitude Self-driven with a growth mindset & can use initiative Hands on & practical approach to working Good IT skills - Microsoft and database systems Why should I join the family? We’re independent, British and proud to be making the highest quality yogurts, desserts and ice cream under the Yeo Valley brand and for many of the UK’s major retailers. Operating from four dairies and two logistics centres in Somerset and Devon, we employ over 1700 staff and produce more than 25% of the UK’s packaged yogurt. We’re sure you don’t need convincing, but there’s a whole host of benefits that we offer including: competitive holiday allowance non-contributory pension scheme life cover healthcare cash back plan cycle to work scheme subsidised Yeo Valley products and services preferential rates with our partners annual bonus (as part of the Employee Benefit Trust, based on company performance for the year) learning and development opportunities; we’re committed to ensuring all of our employees have the chance to grow Our closing dates are a guide for when the application window should close, although we may close the advert sooner if we can. So, we recommend you get your application in straight away – and don’t miss the opportunity to join us Unfortunately, we’re not able to provide employment sponsorship to candidates at this moment in time. Please note that Yeo Valley do not accept speculative agency applications; we will only accept applications from preferred suppliers that have been submitted to us via our recruitment portal at the point of instruction .