Career Opportunities: Snr. Scientist - Research - 12month FTC (32883)

Position Title: Snr. Scientist - Research - 12month FTC 

Position Type: Temporary - Full-Time ​

Position Location: Scarborough 

Requisition ID: 32883 

Senior Scientist - Research - 12month FTC (Mat Cover) 

There’s nothing beige about McCain…
Except our potatoes — and we’re extremely passionate about them.
 
When you join McCain, you’ll be joining the biggest player in the frozen potato game, bringing people together around the nation for over 60 years by sharing simple, delicious planet friendly food.
 
We’ve partnered with thousands of the country’s supermarkets, pubs, restaurants, hospitals, and schools to change the way people see the humble spud. It’s all about elevation and creating something better.
 
So, come and make your career at McCain Foods.

About the role
 
Drive impactful, innovative products on regional and global scales! As a Snr Process Scientist, you’ll lead projects from concept to completion, partnering with tech leads to ensure smooth process knowledge transfer. Take charge of new product launches, process optimizations, and cost-saving initiatives, all while aligning research with business objectives for measurable results.

Leverage your expertise in food science, engineering, and applied research to steer a diverse portfolio of projects. You'll manage food safety programs, conduct audits, and champion continuous improvement. When the Team Lead is unavailable, you’ll step in to keep things moving forward. Collaborate with global teams, external experts, and research partners to make a tangible impact—help us shape the future of product innovation!

 
R&D Process:

•    Leading pilot trials as briefed by the R&D tech lead ensuring consistent process knowledge transfer of standard/new processes, to be the process expert for R&D. 
•    Support new processes at the pilot line taking on the transition from kitchen to pilot scale operating to best practices.
•    Learning and providing understanding of new processes as briefed by the tech lead. 
•    Supporting factory trials as and when required.
•    Completion of pilot trial reports, highlighting necessary information to the tech leads.
•    Attendance at pre and post trial meetings.
•    Ensuring systems such as IMS are up to date and all relevant process documentation is updated.
•    Support receiving and shipping of trial products, ingredients and supplies.
•    Develop and share best practices for R&D.
•    Leading the processing aspect of the variety programme to include setting up peeling tests and working with the subsequent sensory analysis of the products made form the new varieties.
•    Help lead specific equipment H&S training for all people using the Pilot Plant including developing and training out risk assessments.
•    Perform day to day tasks as identified in the systems associated with the pilot facility including the HACCP programme and Health and Safety checks and seek to proactively improve them.
•    Partnering with R&D colleagues to identify new innovation technology platforms to pursue breakthroughs for developing sustainable and competitive products. 
•    Keeping current with advancements in ingredient, processing and food science  technologies by taking advantage of technical journals, attending technical presentations by suppliers, and networking with colleagues and experts in the field.
•    Execute targeted bench-top experimentation with timely feedback to research partners and business stakeholders.
•    Support commissioning of new equipment as required.
•    Generate technical timelines taking into consideration all aspects of the project such as cost, conditions of satisfaction.
•    Supports the effective transfer of new and improved analytical and sensory test methods to other facilities in R&D and Manufacturing. This includes the set-up of new instruments, end user training and troubleshooting support.
•    Acts as a liaison with external laboratories to conduct research and testing using complex, advanced or specific technologies.

Communication: 

•    Maintain a good relationship, communicating internally with the R&D teams and any other associated departments. 
•    Provide technical consultation to Operations, QA, Procurement, Engineering and other departments, as assigned, in identifying and solving product design and manufacturing issues.
•    Internal consistent communication with the Pan European team.
•    Attendance at R&D meetings (CEU, GB and Global).
•    Contribute to all Applied Technology and Innovation (ATI) meetings as required.
•    Share technical knowledge and learning throughout the organization.
•    Present findings and solutions on a regular basis professionally and confidently at a level which is easily understood. Translate complex technical challenges for non technical cross functional partners.

 
 
About you:
 
•    Must have Degree in Food Science, Food Manufacturing,  equivalent or Relevant Work Experience
•    Relevant and proven industry experience
•    Experience working in a fast paced Product Development environment (both frozen and chilled), working on all aspects in the development process including process development, factory/line trials and first production runs.
•    Proven ability to work collaboratively across levels and functions internally and with third parties.
•    Experience of completing projects in tight timelines using good experimental design techniques and practices. 
 
We understand that no one is perfect, and you might not tick every box on this list. However, we believe in nurturing growth within the role. So, if you think you have what it takes, even if you don’t meet every single requirement, we still want to hear from you. You could be exactly who we need! Apply today!
 
 
What’s in it for me?
 
Although we do encourage you to taste the goods you’ll be pleased to know we don’t pay you in chips. For working hard, you’ll also get a great salary and some pretty good benefits including: 
 
•    An excellent pension where we will pay double what you do, up to a maximum of 12% of your pay 
•    Flexible holidays – where you can buy & sell up to 5 days holiday per year 
•    Optional health cash plan 
•    Cycle to work scheme 
•    ‘Chips In’ Volunteering Day Off - to make a positive impact to the long-term development of McCain communities across the globe 
 
And of course, being part of a Global business there are great opportunities to shine/thrive should you wish to relocate in the future. We have an impressive 5 year growth plan that presents development & progression opportunities for those who seek it out. 
 
 
WHERE YOU’LL WORK: 
 

McCain operate a self contained Pilot Plant based in Scarborough, North Yorkshire. Our Pilot Plant is on the outskirts of Scarborough – 1.5 hours away from Leeds City Centre, and about an hour from York.
 
The facility has all the appropriate equipment and space required to run small scale trials and test new technologies. Whilst McCain encourages hybrid working, the role will mainly be based at the Pilot Plant with the opportunity for some travel either within the UK to our manufacturing sites or across the globe depending on the projects being worked on. However, we are conscious that people need to balance their work load with occasional opportunities to work from home to ensure they get a good work-life balance.

McCain Foods is an equal opportunity employer. We see value in ensuring we have a diverse, antiracist, inclusive, merit-based, and equitable workplace.  As a global family-owned company we are proud to reflect the diverse communities around the world in which we live and work. We recognize that diversity drives our creativity, resilience, and success and makes our business stronger. 
 
McCain is an accessible employer. If you require an accommodation throughout the recruitment process (including alternate formats of materials or accessible meeting rooms), please let us know and we will work with you to meet your needs.
 
Your privacy is important to us. By submitting personal data or information to us, you agree this will be handled in accordance with the Global Privacy Policy 
 

Job Family: Research & Development      
Division: Global Research and Development 
Department: ​Pilot Plant Supervisor ​
Location(s): GB - United Kingdom : England : Scarborough
GB - United Kingdom : England : Bath
GB - United Kingdom : England : Birmingham*
GB - United Kingdom : England : Bradford*
GB - United Kingdom : England : Brighton & Hove
GB - United Kingdom : England : Bristol*
GB - United Kingdom : England : Cambridge
GB - United Kingdom : England : Canterbury*
GB - United Kingdom : England : Carlisle
GB - United Kingdom : England : Chelmsford
GB - United Kingdom : England : Chester*
GB - United Kingdom : England : Chichester
GB - United Kingdom : England : Colchester
GB - United Kingdom : England : Coventry*
GB - United Kingdom : England : Derby
GB - United Kingdom : England : Doncaster
GB - United Kingdom : England : Durham
GB - United Kingdom : England : Ely
GB - United Kingdom : England : Exeter*
GB - United Kingdom : England : Gloucester
GB - United Kingdom : England : Grantham
GB - United Kingdom : England : Hereford
GB - United Kingdom : England : Hull
GB - United Kingdom : England : Kingston-upon-Hull*
GB - United Kingdom : England : Lancaster
GB - United Kingdom : England : Leeds*
GB - United Kingdom : England : Leicester*
GB - United Kingdom : England : Lichfield
GB - United Kingdom : England : Lincoln
GB - United Kingdom : England : Liverpool*
GB - United Kingdom : England : London*
GB - United Kingdom : England : Manchester*
GB - United Kingdom : England : Milton Keynes
GB - United Kingdom : England : Newcastle-upon-Tyne*
GB - United Kingdom : England : Norwich*
GB - United Kingdom : England : Nottingham*
GB - United Kingdom : England : Oxford*
GB - United Kingdom : England : Peterborough
GB - United Kingdom : England : Plymouth*
GB - United Kingdom : England : Portsmouth*
GB - United Kingdom : England : Preston
GB - United Kingdom : England : Ripon
GB - United Kingdom : England : Salford
GB - United Kingdom : England : Salisbury
GB - United Kingdom : England : Sheffield*
GB - United Kingdom : England : Southampton*
GB - United Kingdom : England : Southend-on-Sea
GB - United Kingdom : England : St Albans
GB - United Kingdom : England : Stoke on Trent*
GB - United Kingdom : England : Sunderland
GB - United Kingdom : England : Truro
GB - United Kingdom : England : Wakefield
GB - United Kingdom : England : Wells
GB - United Kingdom : England : Westminster*
GB - United Kingdom : England : Whittlesey
GB - United Kingdom : England : Winchester
GB - United Kingdom : England : Wolverhampton
GB - United Kingdom : England : Wombourne
GB - United Kingdom : England : Worcester
GB - United Kingdom : England : York*
GB - United Kingdom : Other : Armagh*
GB - United Kingdom : Other : Bangor
GB - United Kingdom : Other : Belfast*
GB - United Kingdom : Other : Lisburn
GB - United Kingdom : Other : Londonderry
GB - United Kingdom : Other : Newry
GB - United Kingdom : Other : Reference job description
GB - United Kingdom : Scotland : Aberdeen*
GB - United Kingdom : Scotland : Dundee*
GB - United Kingdom : Scotland : Dunfermline
GB - United Kingdom : Scotland : Edinburgh*
GB - United Kingdom : Scotland : Glasgow*
GB - United Kingdom : Scotland : Inverness
GB - United Kingdom : Scotland : Montrose
GB - United Kingdom : Scotland : Perth
GB - United Kingdom : Scotland : Stirling
GB - United Kingdom : Wales : Bangor
GB - United Kingdom : Wales : Cardiff*
GB - United Kingdom : Wales : Newport
GB - United Kingdom : Wales : St Asaph
GB - United Kingdom : Wales : St Davids
GB - United Kingdom : Wales : Swansea*
GB - United Kingdom : Wales : Wrexham 

Company: McCain Foods (G.B.) Ltd