Product Development Technologist

About Us

The Happy Pear exists to inspire people to eat well, feel good, and live better. It started out back in 2004 with Steve, Dave, a tiny shop and a dream of helping people to eat more veg! The Happy Pear now consists of over 80 food products, a membership App alongside a suite of online courses, our famous wholefood cafe & shop in Greystones, a range of bestselling cookbooks, an organic regenerative farm, a roastery and a community of over 1.6 million people living healthier! The mission is still the same, to create a healthier, happier world and build community!

The Role

Working Location: Pearville, The Happy Pear, Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow
Permanent – Full Time
Hours – 40 hours per week
Salary – A competitive renumeration package is available for this role

This role offers an exciting opportunity for an employee with a degree in BSc Food
Science/Technology/Nutrition or equivalent to play an integral role in an NPD department that is
on the cutting edge of plant-based food innovation.

The successful candidate will have experience of working with product development projects and will ideally have a passion for working for a healthy eating brand. Working in a fast-paced environment, this role will demand first class organisational skills, a strong understanding of food science and excellent problem solving ability.

In return the role offers an opportunity to be part of a well established exciting operation which is rapidly increasing the company’s manufactured product range. This role operates within a dynamic and exciting team in a progressive environment.

It works closely with a broad range of
key stakeholders including Production, Quality, Finance and external suppliers.

Principal Duties & Responsibilities:

  • Carry out existing product development (EPD) [refreshing ranges and making product improvements] and new product development (NPD) projects as per the NPD framework, BRCGS, regulatory requirements and customer specifications for retail and food service products.
  • Develop project briefs in line with scope/requirements outlined by Production director/customers.
  • Source new or more appropriate ingredients and packaging to come up with more cost effective/improved alternatives or to have a contingency of supply at all times for all raw materials including the approval of packaging.
  • Scale up new and existing products/recipes by working with operations to ensure new product integration is successful.
  • Support with the sourcing of new and alternative suppliers alongside operations and purchasing.
  • Assist in supplier and specifications management – ensuring specs and supplier information is up to date at all times.
  • Carry out quality and food safety related analysis, checks and inspections.
  • Send samples away for external analysis as per internal testing schedule.
  • Approval of fermented product batches before packing until this is handed over successfully to the production team.
  • Generate and validate specifications for finished products (inc. Musgrave’s ZOOM).
  • Conduct shelf-life and sensory trials for both new and existing products and lead sensory panel tastings – comparing new product variations, existing products or benchmarking competitors.
  • Stay abreast of relevant developments in European/Irish and UK legislation, scientific and technical developments, and the implementation of any necessary changes.
  • Strong management of project and record folders, ensuring all trials and products in development follow procedure and meet the standards required (BRCGS, Musgraves, FSAI, Stage-gate process etc.).
  • Work alongside the brand and product development team at Musgrave to develop or improve products, artwork, packaging, product offerings.
  • Attend meetings at all levels and close out assigned actions.
  • Take part in regulatory, internal, external and third party audits.
  • Cross-functional working with production, quality, and operations departments to ensure successful and timely launch and successful handover of new products including training of other staff on work instructions for the new product and ‘what good looks like’ with regards to product standards.
  • Create and design internal product labels and assist in artwork sign offs.
  • HACCP Team Member and supporting QA by owning BRCGS Clause 5 & 6.
  • Ad hoc tasks to support operations/quality, ability to be flexible and willing to be hands-on in all capacities when required.

Essential Skills & Experience

  • Third level qualifications in food science or equivalent 3rd level degree science/Technology/Nutrition or related degree programme.
  • Minimum 1 year product manufacturing experience.
  • Strong IT skills including experience with Google suite, stock management systems including Unleashed or equivalent.
  • A clear understanding of food safety and quality, regulatory requirements and BRCGS requirements relating to product development.
  • A strong, natural and influential communicator who has the ability to develop strong cross functional working relationships.
  • Strong commercial acumen.
  • Highly analytical with excellent project management skills.
  • Creative and a positive “can do” attitude.
  • Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team.
  • Strong organisational and problem solving skills.
  • Flexible and able to manage multiple demands.
  • Passion, Energy and Enthusiasm

Desirable:

  • A passion for life and a desire to make the world a happier, healthier place.
  • Experience taking part in a BRCGS audit, or equivalent.

To apply for this role, please send your CV to deirdre.doran@thehappypear.ie

*All candidates must be eligible to live and work in the EU.*

*No relocation assistance will apply.

*The Happy Pear is an equal opportunity employer committed to hiring a diverse workforce and sustaining an inclusive culture.