Senior Development Technologist

We have an opportunity for a Senior Development Technologist to join our Development team at our Nicholas & Harris site as part of Finsbury Food Group. Nicholas & Harris has over 180 years of heritage in craft baking methods. If you’re passionate about artisanal, organic, and speciality breads — including products tailored to specific dietary or nutritional needs — our Salisbury bakery has you covered. Finsbury Food Group is a leading speciality bakery manufacturer, continuously raising quality and efficiency standards while building long-term relationships within the foodservice channel. We offer a wide range of bakery products and are a leading frozen supplier into the Foodservice sector. The Senior Development Technologist will play a key role in supporting bakery innovation by developing, producing, and delivering high-quality product samples at pace. Working within a positive, close-knit bakery kitchen environment, you’ll collaborate with multiple internal teams and customers to bring new and improved products to life. As the Senior Development Technologist, you will be responsible for the day-to-day development of new bakery products, with a primary focus on sourdough and hot cross buns. You will apply your technical knowledge and product development expertise to create innovative products that meet internal quality standards, customer specifications, and commercial objectives. Working closely with customers, you will translate product briefs into commercially successful launches, ensuring products meet quality, cost, and margin requirements. You will collaborate with cross-functional site teams, including Production, Technical, Operations, and Commercial, to ensure products are developed efficiently and are scalable for manufacture. You will monitor and benchmark product quality of new and existing products and raise issues with the development manager. You will work on critical path plans, organise and control resources to deliver products and processes to an agreed quality and timescale.

Responsibilities

Developing, producing, and delivering high-quality product samples at pace; Supporting bakery innovation and the delivery of the development pipeline; Day-to-day development of new bakery products, with a primary focus on sourdough and hot cross buns; Applying technical knowledge and product development expertise to create innovative products that meet internal quality standards, customer specifications, and commercial objectives; Working closely with customers to translate product briefs into commercially successful launches; Collaborating with cross-functional site teams, including Production, Technical, Operations, and Commercial; Monitoring and benchmarking product quality of new and existing products and raising issues with the development manager; Working on critical path plans, organising and controlling resources to deliver products and processes to an agreed quality and timescale

Requirements

Degree preferred Food science / technology or similar degree / HND equivalent or relevant experience; Proven experience in bakery product development, with strong knowledge and hands-on experience of sourdough products; Excellent communication skills; Computer literate – computer skills and knowledge of word and excel systems; Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel when required; Basic Food Hygiene Certificate as a minimum

Nice to have

Experience with hot cross buns and other fermented bakery products; Higher-level food hygiene qualifications

Benefits

Enhanced Maternity & Paternity Leave; Enhanced Pension Scheme; Death in Service Benefit; Free Employee Assistance Programme; Retail discounts via Benefits Hub platform; Company shop available at sites; Refer a Friend Scheme (up to £300 per referral); Employee Recognition Awards; Extensive Learning & Development opportunities; Opportunity to be part of a fantastic, growing organisation