R&D Support Technologist (FTC)

Job Description

6 month fixed term contract

📍 York (site-based, 5 days a week)

At Valeo Foods UK, we’re looking for an R&D Support Technologist to join our confectionery team on a 6-month fixed-term contract.

This is a practical, hands-on role based at our York site, working closely with the R&D Manager and wider teams to support the delivery of product development projects across our UK confectionery sites.

You’ll play a key role in supporting R&D activity, particularly within our Valeo Confectionery Academy (pilot plant), helping to turn concepts into scalable products.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Supporting product trials and sample preparation in the pilot plant and factory
• Managing ingredients, materials and stock for development and trials
• Maintaining accurate documentation, including recipes and specifications
• Running and supporting sensory evaluation and shelf-life testing, and turning results into clear insights
• Coordinating with suppliers and internal teams to ensure materials are available for trials
• Supporting customer and internal visits, including set-up and sample preparation
• Assisting with factory trials, reporting results and keeping stakeholders updated

You’ll work closely with teams across product development, operations, procurement, technical and marketing, so strong communication and organisation will be important.

Qualifications

We’re looking for someone who is:

• Experienced or qualified in food science, product development, or a related area
• Comfortable in a hands-on, site-based environment
• Organised and detail-focused, particularly with documentation and processes
• Collaborative, with the ability to work across different teams
• Interested in product quality, sensory testing and continuous improvement

Additional Information

This is a good opportunity to gain broad exposure to R&D in a busy, commercially focused environment, with involvement across the full development lifecycle.