Food Technologist

Hiring: Food Technologist – In-House Manufacturing, Quality & Food Safety

Location: Andheri East, Mumbai (Manufacturing Facility)

Employment Type: Full-time

Department: Manufacturing / Operations

Reports To: Founders / Head of Operations

Role Purpose

The Food Technologist will be the technical owner of in-house food manufacturing, responsible for ensuring all products are safe, compliant, consistent, shelf-stable, and scalable.

This role has end-to-end responsibility from raw material intake to finished goods dispatch, with authority over production processes, quality control, food safety systems, and factory discipline.

This is a hands-on factory-floor role, not a desk-based QA position.

Scope of Authority

The Food Technologist is authorized to:

• Stop production in case of quality or food safety risk
• Approve or reject raw materials, in-process batches, and finished goods
• Define and enforce SOPs, GMP, and HACCP requirements
• Set and modify production process parameters
• Lead corrective and preventive actions (CAPA)

Key Responsibilities

1. In-House Production Management

• Own daily production operations across all SKUs
• Define and control batch sizes and process parameters
• Monitor environmental conditions (temperature, humidity)
• Ensure production targets, yields, and timelines are met
• Troubleshoot issues related to texture, binding, moisture, breakage, and packaging
• Minimise downtime, rework, and wastage

2. Product Development & Scale-Up

• Translate R&D formulations into production-ready recipes
• Conduct pilot trials and commercial validation batches
• Optimise formulations for:
• Shelf life
• Process stability
• Ingredient functionality
• Cost efficiency
• Support new product launches from trial to full-scale production

3. Quality Control & Quality Assurance

• Design and implement factory-wide QC systems
• Define quality specifications and acceptance criteria
• Oversee:
• Incoming raw material checks
• In-process quality controls
• Finished goods inspections
• Review and approve batch manufacturing records
• Manage non-conformances, deviations, and CAPAs

4. Food Safety, Hygiene & Compliance

• Implement and maintain GMP and HACCP systems
• Ensure compliance with FSSAI regulations
• Maintain food safety documentation and records
• Lead internal and external audits
• Act as the primary food safety contact for regulatory authorities

5. Shelf Life, Stability & Packaging Control

• Design and execute shelf-life and stability studies
• Monitor oxidation, moisture migration, texture changes, and sensory drift
• Validate packaging materials and sealing integrity
• Define storage and distribution conditions
• Implement natural shelf-life enhancement strategies

6. Raw Material & Supplier Quality

• Approve raw material specifications and suppliers
• Monitor ingredient variability and seasonal changes
• Handle supplier quality issues and corrective actions
• Maintain COAs and full traceability

7. Documentation & Traceability

• Create and maintain:
• SOPs
• Work instructions
• Batch records
• Cleaning and sanitation logs
• Ensure full lot traceability and recall readiness
• Conduct mock recall drills when required

8. Team Training & Factory Discipline

• Train production staff on SOPs, hygiene, and quality checkpoints
• Enforce hygiene and food safety behaviour
• Build a quality-first culture on the factory floor
• Support hiring and evaluation of production staff

9. Continuous Improvement & Cost Optimisation

• Lead initiatives for yield improvement and waste reduction
• Optimise ingredient usage without compromising quality
• Improve line efficiency and process robustness
• Track and report production and quality KPIs

Qualifications & Experience

Education

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Food Technology, Food Science, Food Engineering, Nutrition, or related fields

Experience

• 5–10 years of hands-on experience in in-house food manufacturing
• Strong factory-floor exposure
• Experience with shelf-stable products preferred
• Audit and inspection handling experience required

Skills & Competencies

• Food chemistry and ingredient functionality
• Shelf-life science and packaging interactions
• HACCP and GMP implementation
• Root-cause analysis and problem-solving
• Strong documentation and execution discipline
• Leadership and decision-making under pressure

Career Growth Path

Food Technologist → Production & Quality Head → Plant Head / Operations Head