Junior Development Technologist

Vacancy Information

We have a fantastic opportunity to join the In House Development team as a Junior Food Development Technologist.

Reporting to the Senior In-House Development Manager, the Food Development Technologist will play an important role in supporting the Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) process, ensuring that the Greggs in-house development function operates in full compliance with all requirements.

This is a hands-on, kitchen-based role, ideal for someone with strong practical skills and a passion for food innovation. You will primarily focus on the sweet bakery category, while also contributing to other areas such as savoury baked goods and sandwich premixes.

We can offer you

• Management Bonus Scheme which is worth up to 10% of your salary
• Pension scheme with matching employer contributions up to 7%
• Colleague discount, up to 50% off our own-produced products
• Profit share - We want everyone to share in the success of the business, so we distribute 10% of our profits to all our colleagues who have at least 6-month service, or more, each year
• 25 days (5 weeks) annual leave, pro-rated, increasing with service (in addition to bank holidays), plus 1 additional floating day
• The opportunity to purchase additional annual leave twice a year
• Colleague share plans, giving you the opportunity to save and invest in Greggs, with the chance to buy Greggs shares at a discounted rate
• Private Medical Insurance which is free for you and subsidised for your dependants
• Income Protection should you become unable to work due to long-term sickness
• Death in service benefit which provides a lump-sum payment equal to 4 times your year's salary
• Virtual GP, Physiotherapy and Lifestyle Consultations - we provide access to a fantastic total wellbeing app for you and your family
• Employee Assistance Programme - we provide all colleagues with access to an EAP helpline providing mental health support as well as financial and legal support
• Savings and discounts, including digital gift card discounts, online cashback, in-store and online coupons and lifestyle offers
• Career progression and learning and development opportunities
• A company who cares about our communities; the environment and being a better business! Click here to read about The Greggs Pledge
• Colleague Networks - internal groups where colleagues and their allies can share their own experiences, offer feedback on the way we do things at Greggs, and provide support to one another

About the role

• This is a full-time role, however flexibility in this will be considered
• We know that having a work-life balance is important, so we offer our colleagues as much flexibility as possible in line with the needs of their role
• The base location for this role is Greggs, Balliol Park, Newcastle Upon Tyne

What you'll do

You'll be responsible for supporting the development of new products while continuously improving existing ranges. This includes reviewing and refining formulations across in-house technology platforms to enhance product quality, efficiency, and consistency. You will also assess ingredients to identify suitable alternatives where supply risks exist, or ingredients are no longer available.

A key focus of this role, alongside NPD, is EPD, supporting product quality improvements, ingredient functionality changes, and overall product enhancements. You will also conduct packaging assessments to optimise product quality and extend shelf life from both bakery and retail perspectives, as well as support product taste panels.

Alongside this, you'll contribute to developing innovative in-house product concepts that can be effectively translated onto our existing technology platforms, supporting future growth opportunities.

You will also:

• Generate product specifications, costings, and nutritional calculations for new concepts and product changes
• Support, organise and manage relevant product benchmarking sessions
• Support the reformulation of existing products to improve margin while maintaining or enhancing quality, shelf life, and operational efficiency
• Work collaboratively within the PLM process to deliver products from concept through to launch

About you

We're looking for someone who is enthusiastic, creative, and ready to develop their career in food innovation. You'll thrive in a fast-paced environment and enjoy working both independently and as part of a team.

You will fit right into Greggs as Junior Food Development Technologist if:

• You have a Degree in Food Science obtained within the last 2 years along with a placement year in product development which is beneficial but not essential, or 2 years' experience in food product development
• You are enthusiastic, innovative and creative with a flair for developing new and exciting products
• You are fully conversant with all MS packages
• You have an understanding of the PLM process (concept to launch)
• You can multitask and meet challenging deadlines
• You have excellent verbal, written communication & presentation skills
• You can work in line with company values
• You have strong interpersonal skills
• You will be a strong team player and be able to build relationships at all levels.
• You will have strong organisational skills
• You will be self-motivated and able to work under pressure and use your own initiative

About Greggs

Here at Greggs, we love what we do, and we have fun! What makes us so special is our culture - how we behave and support each other. Everyone's welcome at Greggs. Whatever their background, preferences or beliefs we want all of our colleagues to feel welcome and able to be themselves at work. You can read more about us here: Greggs Careers | About Greggs.

Apply

Salary

up to £35,000 per annum, depending on experience

Working conditions

Contract: Permanent Monday to Friday, however some flexibility may be required depending on business needs

Working hours: Full time

Pay frequency: Annual