Main tasks and responsibilities:

Customer facing:

Responsible for the day to day management of the allocated customer technical accounts:

• Manage Own Label (OL) NPD – From agreed listing to launch & post launch
• Monitor the quality of the products ensuring they meet the specifications and QAS at all times
• Manage customers’ technical requirements: ensure updates & changes are tracked, interpreted, summarised and passed on to TAM for implementation
• Customers’ ethical / CSR requirements: updates, changes & requests passed on to colleagues responsible for these topics.
• Build strong and proactive relationships with customers; meeting expectations, requirements, requests and tasks by the deadlines set
• Manage customers’ technical websites (specifications, technical requirements, laboratory results, questionnaires, alerts etc…) ensuring they are up-to-date at all times
• Complete technical customers’ specifications (OL format, Customers’ format or Lactalis format), with all the relevant attachments required, ensuring they are up-to-date at all times.
• Complete & send all documents / reports required by customers (QAS, KPIs, CoC, CoA, 3rd party certificates & reports, panels, scorecards, allergens questionnaires, supplier questionnaires etc…)
• Organise customers’ audits & visits as per plan, attend (physically or remotely) and close the reports on time, with the support of the TAM if required
• Prepare and attend (physically or remotely) any routine customer meetings, follow up on the agreed actions until closed off
• Support TAM / Customer Technical Lead (CTL) – Head of Group technical projects & customer experience (HGC) (where applicable) for any tasks as and when required (NPD forms, samples forms etc…)

Factories

• Build strong & proactive relationships with Lactalis colleagues, Lactalis factories & divisions, co-manufacturers and depots ensuring the customer needs & expectations are met
• Support CTLs – HGC (where applicable) – with change of co-manufacturers and Group factories

Branded products

• Manage branded NPD information and documentation: complete Internal specifications, NPD check-list, PIF, rework documentation etc…
• Check and comment on artworks and assets, to ensure they are legal in the UK and in line with specifications
• With the support of the CTL – HGC (where applicable), attend the NPD project meetings and ensure the products comply with food quality, safety and legal expectations.

Customer complaints:

• For allocated customer technical accounts, manage customer complaints: log, investigate, respond to the customer, assign costs and responsibilities, close off in a timely manner
• Cover for other members of the team as and when required
• Support the TAMs / CTLs – HGC (where applicable) for product withdrawals & recalls, as and when required

Other tasks:

• Hold and release products from depot as and when required
• Release Camembert as per requirements
• Support the TAM with issues raised by depots (temperatures, wrong skus, labelling etc…) for OL and brands allocated as and when required
• Manage samples
• Complete organoleptic assessments on a variety of dairy products, mainly cheese, butter & cream
• Work in partnership with Business Units ensuring technical topics are embedded in any day-to-day work
• Gather 3rd party certificates & reports for all factories and distribute as necessary
• Take an active role in business cross-functional projects
• Take initiatives and propose new ways of working to be simpler more efficient and quicker
• Raise awareness of issues related to food safety, legal and quality risks on products to TAM
• Support the business and participate with CSR related topics
• Organise, prepare and lead the trained panel as and when required, as per rules for cover in place
• Manage consumers calls and log complaints as and when required, as per rules for cover in place

Essential Skills/Experience/Knowledge:

• Food science degree or equivalent
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in Food Safety (HACCP) & BRC
• Experience with UK retailers and food services specifications systems
• Experience in providing excellent customer service
• Demonstrated ability to interact effectively with people at different levels
• Ability to challenge others in a respectful way
• Strong levels of analytical & curiosity & ability to cross-check information
• Good at planning and organizing workload to meet deadlines
• Ability to work as part of a team and to work on own initiative
• Attention to detail
• Good verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to deliver pro- active and reactive support
• Proficiency using key software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams etc…)
• Be able to travel in the UK & EU as and when required
• Clean driving license (1 year +)

Desirable Skills/Experience/Knowledge:

• Experience with food labelling legislation
• Experience with dairy products
• Fluent in French or Italian

To apply, please complete the job vacancy form below.