Junior Product Technologist

Location: Wageningen, Netherlands

On-site

About the position

The Junior Product Technologist is part of the Global R&D Cheese team and supports innovation, renovation, and cost-saving projects within the cheese portfolio. The role contributes to delivering high-quality results by applying food science principles and hands-on experimentation. Product quality is central to delivering great consumer and culinary experiences. In this role, you will be actively involved in the different stages of product development, from laboratory work to pilot plant trials and factory scale-up. A strong practical interest in lab, pilot plant operations and membrane-based processes is essential.
You will work in a global, multi-country context across plant-based, hybrid, and dairy cream cheese products.

On a day-to-day basis, you will:

• Support the design and development of cream cheese products with a focus on taste, texture, nutrition, and functionality.

• Work closely with cross-functional R&D teams, including product developers, process technologists, sensory experts, microbiologists, and packaging specialists.

• Execute laboratory and pilot plant trials, including experiments involving membrane technologies (e.g. filtration, concentration, fractionation).

• Plan and conduct experiments based on defined technical hypotheses; analyse results, document findings, and support data-driven conclusions.

• Develop and refine prototypes at bench, pilot, and factory scale in compliance with GMP, food safety, and quality standards.

• Characterise products using physico-chemical, rheological, and sensory methods, and support shelf-life evaluations.

• Assist in the preparation of product and technical specifications for sourcing and supply chain, aligned with quality and food safety requirements.

• Support pilot and factory trials by preparing materials, collecting process data, and contributing to trial reports.

What does it take to be successful in this role?

You are a motivated and curious professional with a solid foundation in Food Science, Food Technology, Chemical Engineering, or a related discipline, and you are a recent graduate with up to one year of relevant experience in product or process development. You have hands-on experience working with cream cheese, dairy, or plant-based products—ideally involving emulsion or gel-based matrices—and practical exposure to pilot plant environments, with an interest in membrane and separation technologies used in food processing. You bring basic to intermediate knowledge of food physics, rheology, and fats and oils, along with the ability to analyse pilot or factory trial data and understand key process parameters. You are structured, proactive, and eager to learn, with the discipline to follow through on assigned tasks and experiments. You communicate effectively in cross-functional and multicultural teams, are fluent in spoken and written English, and are willing to travel occasionally to factories to support trials and scale-up activities.

What’s Next? 

If this position sounds interesting, please hit the apply button now! The deadline to apply is March 31st.

We understand your resume might not be up to date and recommend that you apply with what you have or your LinkedIn Profile. Flora Food Group is dedicated to building an inclusive and diverse workplace, we understand that you might not meet all the requirements stated in the description, but we encourage you to apply anyway. You might be the right candidate for this role or other roles. 

Flora Food Group is an employer committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace and equal opportunities for all. We recruit based only on values, qualifications, performance, skills, behaviours, experience, and knowledge. We ensure job advertisements are free from unintentional bias.

No personal characteristics should be a barrier to joining Flora Food Group. We prohibit discrimination and harassment based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or other personal characteristics.