Jobs in Wheathampstead

Job Title: Technical Assistant

Location: Stevenage, Hertfordshire

Salary: £28,00 + benefits

Let's be honest about what this job is.

It's an entry point into food technical. Not a glamorous one, not a senior one, but a proper one. The kind where you actually get your hands on things rather than spending two years updating the same spreadsheet while someone more senior does the interesting bits.

You'll be joining an ambitious food and drink manufacturer that's part of a wider group. They make a brilliant product covering newer concepts into the food industry and are very on trend, and they supply some big names across UK and international foodservice, retail and hospitality. Small team, big customers. That combination matters, because it means you'll get exposure most people at your stage simply don't.

You'll working closely with the Technical Manager, and you'll be their right hand.

Some of the work is the bread and butter of any technical role. Keeping the supplier approval database in order. Writing and updating product specs. Checking incoming raw materials against those specs and logging them properly. Picking up customer requests and getting them turned around quickly.

Then there's the good stuff. Testing new products and formulations. Helping take new launches from an idea on a whiteboard to something running in the factory. Sitting on the HACCP team. Working alongside Operations, Procurement and Commercial so you understand how a food business actually fits together. And as your confidence grows, stepping up to cover for the Technical Manager when they're not around.

So who are they after?

Someone with a grounding in food science, nutrition, manufacturing or similar. You might already have a year or two in a food or drink technical environment, which would help, but it isn't a deal breaker. If you're a graduate with the right attitude, they'll happily talk.

You'll need to be comfortable with Word, Excel and Outlook, organised enough that your records are right first time, and switched on enough to spot when something doesn't look right. Most of all you'll need to want to learn, because there's a lot on offer here if you do.

Who won't enjoy it? Anyone who wants a clearly defined box to sit in. It's a small business, so "assisting with other tasks as necessary" genuinely means that. Some weeks will be admin heavy. Some weeks you'll be in development up to your elbows. If that sounds like variety rather than chaos, you'll fit in well.

If you want a technical role where you'll learn more in a year than you would in three somewhere bigger, get in touch. Send your CV, or if you'd rather have a quick chat first, just call