Are you looking for a new challenge at Avara Foods? Would you like to join the Technical department as NPD Technician?
About the role
As an NPD Technician, you will support the New Product Development (NPD) team at Avara across both Dudley and Wednesbury sites. You’ll be involved in a wide range of activities that help drive food product innovation from early concept through to successful launch, while ensuring the NPD kitchens and NPD factory areas operate efficiently, safely, and to high food safety standards.
Working Hours
- Monday to Friday: 08:00 - 16:30
Benefits
- Similar to your current role, you’ll have the opportunity to grow and develop with us in line with career aspirations through personal development
- 31 Days Holiday
- 3% Pension
- Life Insurance
- Various lifestyle benefits, including wellbeing resources
Key Responsibilities:
- NPD Area Management:
Ensure the development areas are safe, clean, well-organized, and stocked with ingredients and consumables.
- Equipment Maintenance:
Monitor and manage equipment servicing, calibration, and risk assessments on a regular schedule.
- Sample Preparation:
Produce high-quality samples for customer submissions, internal innovation sessions, benchmarking, and presentations.
- Product & Data Support:
- Supporting the technologists with organoleptic tasting assessments, complete cooking validations, preparation of nutrition samples, requesting supplier samples, supporting during factory trials, uploading of NPD information onto the Avara recipe system/SharePoint and measuring product attributes.
- Ingredient Management:
Source, collect, and store ingredients according to allergen control procedures, including trips to factories, restaurants, or local suppliers.
- Audit & Compliance:
Support internal audits of the NPD areas to ensure minimum pass standards are consistently met.
- Presentation Support:
Assist with customer and supplier presentations and be willing to travel as required.
- Collaboration:
Build productive working relationships across departments at Wednesbury, Dudley, and other Avara sites.
- General NPD Support:
Provide hands-on help wherever needed to support the Development Technologists and wider NPD team.
What do I need to be successful?
- Clear and confident verbal and written communication skills.
- Excellent time management and a logical, adaptable approach to tasks.
- Self-motivated and able to take initiative and ownership of your responsibilities.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Excel and email communication.
- Minimum 2 years’ experience in the food industry (e.g. home economics or kitchen-based roles).
- A full UK driving licence (manual & automatic, with business insurance).
Desirable Skills & Qualifications:
- Strong organisation, administrative, and presentation skills.
- High attention to detail.
- Basic Food Hygiene & Manual Handling certification.
- A passion for food, ingredients, and development.
- Familiarity with systems such as SharePoint and Recipe Professor.
Please apply for this internal opportunity via our careers website by clicking the ‘apply’ button below, and a member of the Resourcing Team at your site will be in touch with you soon!
Please make sure that you have discussed this internal opportunity with your Line Manager and that you have made them aware of your application.
We are committed to being an equal opportunities employer.