Senior Development Technologist

MITCHAM, United Kingdom

At Solina, our community of close to 5,000 people share a passion for food and live our entrepreneurial culture.

We design customised savoury solutions for our clients operating in the food industry, food service, butchery and nutrition markets. With sustainability at the heart of our business model, we aim to produce food that is good in every sense of the word: delicious, nourishing, affordable, sustainable and convenient.

Solina is a fast-growing business, with around 50 production sites and R&D laboratories present in more than 19 countries mainly in Europe and North America.

By constantly rethinking culinary solutions, we make food matter for people and the planet .

If you're ready for a new adventure in a dynamic, expanding, passionate, international company, join us !

Ready to take the lead in food innovation?

At Solina, we create innovative food solutions that inspire chefs, foodservice operators, and global QSR brands. Innovation, collaboration, and passion for food are at the heart of everything we do — and we’re now looking for a Senior Development Technologist in Foodservice & QSR to join our growing UK R&D team.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced food innovator who enjoys taking ownership, working closely with customers, and leading projects from concept to launch in a fast-paced FMCG environment.

You’ll play a key role in driving innovation within our Foodservice & QSR channels while also helping integrate the Zafron portfolio into the wider Solina UK business. Alongside leading development projects, you’ll also mentor and support a Development Technologist, making this a great next step for someone looking to further develop their leadership experience.

Based primarily at our Zafron sauce manufacturing site in Mitcham, Surrey, this hybrid role offers a mix of on-site collaboration, regular visits to our Elland site in Yorkshire, and flexibility to work from home.

Key Responsibilities

As Senior Development Technologist, you’ll lead the development and delivery of innovative food solutions aligned with both customer and business needs.

Your Responsibilities Will Include

• Leading New Product Development and Existing Product Development projects from brief through to successful launch
• Acting as the key R&D contact on site
• Managing project timelines and ensuring delivery to agreed deadlines
• Supporting the integration of recipes, systems, and product portfolios into the wider UK business
• Line management and development support for a Development Technologist
• Working closely with commercial, process, technical, and operational teams
• Supporting customer meetings, factory trials, and first productions
• Participating in taste panels and ingredient evaluations
• Identifying opportunities for continuous improvement and innovation
• Staying close to emerging food trends, ingredients, and packaging developments
• Supporting product development and innovation within a fast-paced sauce manufacturing environment

This is a highly collaborative role with strong visibility across the business and exposure to both internal stakeholders and external customers.

What We’re Looking For

You’ll thrive in this role if you:

• Have previous R&D experience within FMCG food manufacturing
• Enjoy working in a customer-focused and commercially driven environment
• Have experience working within sauce manufacturing or with businesses producing sauces, dressings, marinades, or similar liquid food products
• Are passionate about food trends, innovation, and product development
• Are confident managing multiple projects and priorities
• Build strong relationships across teams and functions
• Have a proactive, solutions-focused mindset
• Enjoy mentoring and supporting others
• Communicate confidently with stakeholders at all levels

Essential

Skills & experience

• Previous food-related FMCG R&D experience within a manufacturing environment
• Strong project management and organisational skills
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
• Computer literacy

Desirable

• Experience within Foodservice or QSR
• Experience within sauce manufacturing or businesses producing sauces, dressings, marinades, or similar products
• Commercial kitchen experience
• Previous people management or mentoring experience
• Full UK driving licence

Why join Solina?

At Solina, you’ll be part of an international and growing business where people genuinely collaborate, innovate, and support each other. We combine the agility of a fast-moving environment with the strength of a global food group, giving our teams the opportunity to make a real impact.

We Offer

• A collaborative and people-focused culture
• Exciting customer-facing innovation projects
• Opportunities for development and career progression
• Hybrid working flexibility
• The chance to work with passionate food professionals across the UK and Europe

If you’re looking for a role where you can combine creativity, technical expertise, leadership, and customer collaboration — we’d love to hear from you.

Join Solina and help shape the future of Foodservice & QSR innovation!

We are open to talents of all backgrounds. Our recruitment process is based on competences, and we openly welcome all candidates of all types according to our DEI Commitment