Food Technologist

We are recruiting for a Food Technologist to join the team here at Harrods.

About The Role

As the custodian of the Harrods brand, this role delivers the technical strategy for supplier management to ensure the consistent production of safe, legal, and premium-quality products. By managing compliance with Harrods' Food Safety and Quality Management System, the position champions rigorous standards in food safety culture, ethical sourcing, and sustainability across the own-label supply base. Working collaboratively with cross-functional teams, the role utilises supplier scorecards to drive continuous improvement, nurture vendor compliance, and maintain the exceptional standards expected of the world’s greatest food emporium.

Your duties will also include:

• Leading the technical aspects of New Product Development (NPD), ensuring all products meet food safety, legal, quality, and Harrods brand standards.
• Approving product specifications, HACCP documentation, and label artwork to ensure compliance and due diligence requirements are met.
• Acting as the technical expert for your category, driving exceptional product quality through benchmarking, testing, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Investigating quality and safety issues, implementing corrective actions, and managing product surveillance programmes.
• Ensuring all product information and documentation remains accurate, compliant, and readily available to relevant stakeholders.
• Managing supplier approval, audits, and ongoing performance, building strong partnerships and supporting continuous improvement across the supply base.
• Assessing product suitability for international markets, ensuring compliance with local legal and religious requirements.
• Collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver successful product launches and provide effective technical leadership throughout the product lifecycle.

About You

You are a food technical professional with a strong understanding of food safety, quality assurance, UK food legislation, and product development. Confident working across the full NPD lifecycle, you have experience managing product specifications, HACCP documentation, label compliance, and ensuring products meet the highest legal, technical, and brand standards.

You'll bring proven experience of supplier management, including conducting audits, assessing supplier capability, driving continuous improvement, and building strong collaborative relationships. With a keen eye for detail, you're comfortable investigating quality issues, implementing corrective actions, and using data and benchmarking to enhance product performance.

As a subject matter expert, you stay up to date with industry regulations and emerging trends, ensuring robust due diligence and governance processes are always maintained. You'll be an effective communicator and stakeholder manager, capable of influencing cross-functional teams and suppliers to deliver successful product launches.

We're looking for someone who combines technical expertise with a proactive and solutions-focused approach, and who is passionate about driving exceptional product quality, compliance, and customer satisfaction.

You will also have:

• Degree in Food Science/Tech or food related degree 
• A minimum of 3 years’ experience ideal 
• Working knowledge of Food Safety Management Systems and experience in supplier auditing 
• Working knowledge of HACCP and specification management 
• HACCP management (L3 HACCP desirable) 
• Experience in management of portfolio of products across different categories 
• Proven track record of developing site standards and working with SMEs with experience in BRC manufacturing and Agents and Brokers preferable 

About Us

Harrods is one of the world’s leading luxury department stores and we’re becoming a destination for top designers, and the most sought-after brands from around the globe. Our combined mission is to make visiting our iconic Knightsbridge store one of the world’s most inspiring shopping experiences.

Our Promise to You

Help us make the impossible possible for our customers and we’ll do something remarkable for you. As well as offering a friendly environment to inspire your best work, we provide abundant opportunities and support to build an exceptional career across the varied specialisms of our business. 

In return you’ll receive an excellent benefits package, including a company pension, flexible working, eligibility for a competitive bonus, 25 days’ holiday, and your birthday off, up to 33% in-store discount (including across our food hall and restaurants), and a season ticket loan.

Uniquely You

At Harrods we believe the personality and authenticity of our people sets us apart.  We celebrate and invite applications from all cultures, backgrounds, tastes, and experiences and are proud of our culture where people from all walks of life can grow and thrive. What makes you unique makes us exceptional.

If you want to know more about our people and our culture, search #TogetherHarrods on LinkedIn, Facebook or follow us on Instagram @togetherharrods

Additional Information:

Time Type:

Permanent

Department:

Food Safety & Technical (Caroline Hetherington)