NPD & Technical Process Technologist

We have a new exciting opportunity for a NPD & Technical Process Technologist to join our team at Agrial Fresh Produce in Wigan, WN5 0LB.

The purpose of the role is to support the delivery of New and Existing Product Development (NPD & EPD) projects through coordinated sample preparation, factory trials, and technical reporting, ensuring compliance with food safety, quality, HACCP, and customer requirements while providing technical support across factory operations.

Working hours: Monday to Friday, 37.5 hours per week, 08:30-17:00 (Full Time)

Pay: Up to £26,000

Main Responsibilities 

• Support the end-to-end NPD/EPD process, managing the transition of new products to industrial scale, monitoring post launch quality and specification performance, and collaborating cross-functionally with Technical, Operations, Commercial, and Engineering teams to ensure successful product development.
• Manage end-to-end sample collection and preparation activities, including ingredient sourcing, coordinator with production teams, and preparation of customer and internal samples, ensuring all samples meet specification, traceability, food safety requirements, and accurate record-keeping standards.
• Plan, execute, and support factory and kitchen process trials, including pre-production, shelf-life, and transit trials, while completing detailed technical documentation, identifying risks and improvement opportunities and supporting trial interactions to achieve technical and commercial feasibility.
• Produce and maintain clear, detailed technical reports and documentation for trials and sample submissions, tracking NPD progress, evaluating process performance, food safety and quality risks, and providing recommendations to support technical and commercial decision-making.
• Provide technical support across factory operations by conducting internal audits for GMP, process, and documentation compliance, supporting external customer and certification audits, and providing cover for the CA role where required.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives by identifying opportunities to enhance process efficiency, yield, cost performance, product quality and consistency, while supporting post-launch reviews and strengthening factory capability for customer and own-label growth.

Skills and Experience Required 

• Experience within FMCG or food manufacturing, ideally fresh produce with strong understanding of food safety, HACCP, GMP and technical standards.
• Experience supporting NPD, trials, process validation, quality systems, audits, or product testing (including shelf-life/microbiology exposure).
• Strong data management skills, including recording, analysis, and technical reporting.
• Detail-oriented, structured, and process-driven approach with the ability to work effectively in a fast paced NPD environment.
• Strong communicator with a proactive, solutions-focused mindset and ability to work cross-functionally.

What You Will Get In Return  

An annual/hourly salary of up to £26,000, inclusion in our annual bonus scheme and a range of employee benefits you’d expect from a market leading business, including:

• Life Assurance: 3x your basic salary paid to your nominated beneficiary.
• Employee Assistance Programme and BUPA: Providing a Remote GP service along with a 24/7 helpline for financial, legal, medical and life issues, as well as access to BUPA Membership.
• Annual leave entitlement: 33 days annual leave per annum inclusive of UK Bank Holidays which increases with service, as well as the option to purchase up to 2 additional working weeks of holiday per annum.
• Learning and Development: Personalised induction and regular learning and development courses and schemes: From L2 to L7 Funded Apprenticeships, Leadership Development Programme, First-Aid and MHFA Training, and many more!
• Benefits Platforms: Employee discount platform for multiple retailers and access to salary finance schemes for bicycles, gyms, and financial assistance.
• Other: Recognition awards, Regular Employee Engagement days, attendance incentives, an annual volunteering day, as well as access to a free physio and our on-site Occupational health nurse.

About Us 

Agrial Fresh Produce is one of three UK food manufacturing sites within Agrial Fresh Produce Ltd, which is an autonomous part of the larger 17,500 employee strong French co-operative group, Agrial. 

Our Wigan site is a well-established business unit that processes and distributes pre-packed, ready to eat, fresh salad bags and bowls to some of the UK's well-known retailers and restaurants. We are based on Martland Park Industrial Estate, which is ideal for travel on the M61, M6 and M62. The business has other operations in the UK, known commonly with our recognisable Florette salad brand and we are one of the UK’s leading producers in the industry. In total, we sell on average around 600,000kg of products every week - an unbe-leaf-able amount!

Agrial has operations across 11 countries, with 100 industrial sites, and a 2024 turnover of €7.1bn across 5 food divisions which comprise of Beverage, Dairy, Meat, Fresh Produce & Agricultural operations; it’s not just about lettuce! As well as 2 factories we also have a farming operation – Agrial Fresh Farms. All UK sites operate under the name of Agrial Fresh Produce Limited and fall under Agrial's vegetable division. We have a recipe for success through our EPIC values and working together as one team. 

Next Steps 

It’s an exciting time to join our business as we look for new starters to join us to innovate in everything we do! We’re looking for positive and driven people to join our professional team. If you have the skills or experience we are looking for, and want a fresh challenge we would love for you to join us on our journey!  

Please apply directly at www.agrialcareers.co.uk

Agrial Fresh Produce reserve the right to close this vacancy once we have received sufficient applications. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.
 
VISA Sponsorship: This role is only open to applicants who have the permanent right to work in the UK. We are unable to provide or take over visa sponsorship, either now or in the future. Applicants must be able to demonstrate their ongoing eligibility to work in the UK without the need for employer sponsorship.

Agrial Fresh Produce Ltd is an Equal Opportunities employer. In addition, as part of Responsible Recruitment, Agrial Fresh Produce Ltd believes in the Employer Pay Principle. No worker should pay for a job – the costs of recruitment should be borne not by the worker but by the employer. 

We are committed to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of all of our staff. That’s why we’ve taken the Mental Health at Work Commitment and are currently delivering a programme of activities to ensure that everyone can have open and honest conversations about their wellbeing in the workplace and feel supported. We encourage applications from persons with experience of poor mental health and are committed to supporting our employees to fulfil their potential and perform at their best in work.