Food Technologist

Job Advert

Our story goes back more than 150 years, to the chilly southern coast of Scandinavia. From our early success in Sweden and Denmark, we’ve grown into the world’s leading specialist producer of plant-based oils, employing more than 4,000 people all across the globe.

We work with our customers to make the products you love even better. The oils we produce go into making your chocolate extra-creamy or putting the crunch into your croissant. And it’s not just food — we work across industries to make products that are higher quality, healthier and better for the planet.

Everything we do is about Making Better Happen.

AAK International is in the heart of an area enjoying significant redevelopment and investment. The Port of Hull is being established as a world-class centre for renewable energy and manufacturing, and at AAK we feel proud to be part of this important industrial renaissance for Yorkshire. We operate the UK’s largest refinery for edible oils and fats at our King George Dock site, and supply ingredients and finished products to businesses in the food manufacturing, baking, foodservice, and retail sectors. We enjoy working closely with customers to co-develop bespoke products, in our well-equipped Customer Innovation Centre.

AAK is seeking to appoint an Application Technologist focused on fats and oils processing to execute on application trials in our Pilot Plant at the Customer Innovation Centre in Hull, England.

This role will execute trials and application projects in our Fats and Oils Processing Pilot Plant in close collaboration with Research Scientists and Customer Innovation Managers, following established procedure and guidelines. The successful candidate will support the delivery of the innovation pipeline in our Bakery and Margarine business for Europe and the UK.

The position will focus on hands-on work to apply knowledge of oils and fats processing and chemistry and to act as an application technical expert.

• Takes active responsibilities in executing application projects following established procedures and guidelines to solve problems and improve or generate new products and solutions in close collaboration with Customer Innovation Managers and Research Scientists.
• Will be responsible for testing raw materials and ingredients with regard to their crystallization and emulsification properties following established research plans and respecting the agreed deadlines.
• Has the responsibility to organize and execute pilot plant trials, being responsible for the entire process from planning to execution of the test.
• Independently assess whether test results are reliable, compiling reports on trials using a standardised format.
• Supports the execution of the innovation pipeline to meet business objectives and supports short to medium-term market driven innovation.

The successful candidate should have the following skills and experience:

• Knowledge in fats and oils processing with a minimum of 2 years of professional experience in production lines or pilot plant settings.
• University degree in Food Science, Food Processing, Chemistry, Food Engineering and/or a solid experience with proven competence as a process expert advantageous.
• Knowledge in oils and fats chemistry and physics, fat crystallization, emulsions, analysis and applications in foods would be an advantage.
• Knowledge of the food industry and the hygiene and safety aspects involved.
• Ability to plan independently, organize and execute application trials.
• Analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Drives improvements and open for a challenge.
• Comfortable working in an international business environment.
• Experience working with virtual and/or matrix teams and ability to effectively communicate and collaborate in this environment would be an advantage.

• 10% non-contribution pension.
• Bonus scheme.
• UK Healthcare scheme.
• 25 days holidays plus bank holidays.
• Group life cover.
• Group income protection scheme.
• Ride2Work scheme.

Everything AAK does is about Making Better Happen. We specialize in plant-based oils that are the value-adding ingredients in many of the products people love to consume. We make these products better tasting, healthier, and more sustainable. At the heart of AAK’s offer is Customer Co-Development, combining our desire to understand what better means for each customer, with the unique flexibility of our production assets, and a deep knowledge of many products and industries, including Chocolate & Confectionery, Bakery, Dairy, Plant-based Foods, Special Nutrition, Foodservice and Personal Care.

Our 4,000 employees support our close collaboration with customers through 25 regional sales offices, 15 dedicated Customer Innovation Centres, and with the support of more than 20 production facilities. Listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and with our headquarters in Malmö, Sweden, AAK has been Making Better Happen for more than 150 years.

AAK prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, colour, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, religion, veteran status, and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under state or federal law in any aspect of the access to, admission, or treatment of students in its programs and activities, or in employment and application for employment.