Development Technologist

Primary Location :

ELLAND, United Kingdom

At Solina, our community of close to 5,000 people share a passion for food and live our entrepreneurial culture.

We design customised savoury solutions for our clients operating in the food industry, food service, butchery and nutrition markets. With sustainability at the heart of our business model, we aim to produce food that is good in every sense of the word: delicious, nourishing, affordable, sustainable and convenient.

Solina is a fast-growing business, with around 50 production sites and R&D laboratories present in more than 19 countries mainly in Europe and North America.

By constantly rethinking culinary solutions, we make food matter for people and the planet.

 

If you're ready for a new adventure in a dynamic, expanding, passionate, international company, join us !

Passionate about food and ready to kick-start your career in food innovation?

Join Solina at our Elland site in West Yorkshire, where you'll help develop innovative sauces, marinades and dressings for leading foodservice and QSR brands. Innovation, collaboration, and a passion for food are at the heart of everything we do and we're now looking for a Development Technologist to join our R&D team.

This is a fantastic opportunity if you're looking for a hands-on role where you can work directly with food and build a career in product innovation. You’ll join a close-knit, collaborative R&D team where people genuinely work together, support each other, and share a passion for bringing new ideas to life.

Working closely with experienced Development Technologists and Development Chefs, you'll gain exposure to the full product development journey - from identifying food trends and creating kitchen samples to supporting factory trials, customer presentations and successful commercial launches.

Key Responsibilities
As a Development Technologist, you'll play an important role in developing innovative food solutions while supporting projects from concept through to launch.

Your responsibilities will include:
• Supporting New Product Development (NPD) and Existing Product Development (EPD) projects from concept through to commercial launch
• Developing, preparing and presenting product samples in the development kitchen
• Assisting with recipe development, reformulation, product optimisation, ingredient testing and sup plier evaluations
• Supporting kitchen trials, factory trials and first production runs
• Researching food trends, ingredients and market innovations to inspire new product concepts
• Participating in taste panels, benchmarking and product evaluations
• Supporting customer presentations, innovation sessions and cross-functional project meetings
• Collaborating with Commercial, Technical, Process, Procurement and Operations teams to deliver successful product launches
• Maintaining a clean, organised and professional development kitchen

No two days are the same. One day you could be creating new recipe concepts in the development kitchen, the next supporting a factory trial, presenting samples to customers or researching the latest food trends.

What we’re looking for
You'll enjoy this role if you:
• Have a genuine passion for food, cooking and product innovation
• Enjoy creating and developing new food concepts and recipes
• Are interested in both hands-on kitchen work and technical product development
• Are organised and able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Have a proactive, curious and problem-solving mindset
• Are eager to learn and develop within an international food business

Skills & Experience
Essential
• Degree, HND or equivalent in Food Science, Food Technology, Culinary Arts or a related discipline or equivalent industry experience
• Strong passion for food and product development
• Good organisational and communication skills
• Computer literate
• Ability to work collaboratively across cross-functional teams
Desirable
• Experience within FMCG food manufacturing
• Commercial kitchen or foodservice experience
• Exposure to product development or food innovation
• Interest in sauces, dressings, marinades or similar food categories
• Full UK driving licence

Why join Solina?

At Solina, you’ll be part of an international and growing business where people genuinely collaborate, innovate and support each other. We combine the agility of a fast-moving environment with the strength of a global food group, giving our teams the opportunity to make a real impact from day one.

We offer:
• The opportunity to work on products for leading foodservice operators and global QSR brands
• Hands-on experience across the full product development journey, from concept to commercial launch
• A collaborative and supportive R&D team where you'll learn from experienced colleagues
• Get exposure to customer presentations, innovation workshops and cross-functional projects
• Receive ongoing mentoring and opportunities to learn, grow and develop your career within an international business

If you're ready to turn your passion for food into a career, we'd love to hear from you. Apply today and start your journey with Solina.

We are open to talents of all backgrounds. Our recruitment process is based on competences, and we openly welcome all candidates of all types according to our DEI Commitment