Specification Technologist

Job Purpose:

• To be involved in the liaison with the customer technical managers / project managers and commercial teams (buying and sales) to aim for finished product specifications to be completed in full, on time, first time.
• To be engaged with customers on discussions related to specification completion, their systems ways of working and system processes.
• To be involved in the development and management of business IT and other systems that can facilitate the effective completion of customer branded traded specifications.
• To collate, validate and accurately input supplier provided data into retailer and other customer specification systems. To fully manage the completion and updating of traded product specifications for defined customers and to ensure that retailer specifications are completed accurately, submitted on time and up dated as and when any changes need to be made.
• To ensure that the provision of data to other interested parties within the business that is related to finished product specifications is compiled and submitted in a timely manner and to the correct and agreed standard.

Principle Responsibilities:

• To liaise with supply chain and customer technical teams, NPD, Procurement, Sales, Packaging, Project managers and any other interested parties so that you can complete product specifications to meet customer expectations within agreed timescales.
• To create specifications for a set of defined retailer, foodservice & Industrial customers ensuring all data is correct and accurate.
• To ensure all necessary legislative information is incorporated into the product specification.
• To be the key point of contact between the company and its traded suppliers with regards to product specifications you are completing. To ensure all necessary information is presented in a format that enables the generation of product labels which meets with all relevant legislation and customer requirements.
• To be the key point of contact for and provide support with respect to all customer specification systems that you are working on and to have a knowledge of other retailer systems so that you can provide support where needed.
• To answer any questions relating to the traded product specifications in areas such as allergens, ingredients declaration and nutritional information are provided in a timely manner.
• To provide retailer reports where needed and to complete where needed customer questionnaires related to products supplied to B2B / Traded and industrial customers.
• Where requested, provide training to other members of the specification team and the wider Technical Teams in the use of the retailer specification management systems.
• To ensure retailer finished product specifications are submitted on time and provide evidence for third party auditors that current versions are valid.
• These are the key job tasks and are not a comprehensive list of all tasks undertaken by the job holder. Flexibility is required by the business & this will be agreed with the individual’s line manager.

Knowledge, Skills & Experience

• Food related degree or an equivalent level of experience working within the food industry.
• Substantial experience working with retailer specification management systems. Excellent understanding, knowledge of and training in the use of retailer specification systems with a focus on M&S / JS / ASDA / WAITROSE / TESCO / MOR / ALDI / COOP and appropriate customer approvements.
• Knowledge of key customer codes of practice related to specification completion and artwork review / management.
• Level 2 HACCP training
• Allergen training