Innovation Technologist

About the company

Patties Food Group is a values-driven Australian business with a long-standing heritage and a portfolio of well-known brands such as Four’N Twenty, Patties, Herbert Adams, Nanna’s, Lean Cuisine, Weight Watchers and On the Menu. Guided by courage, trust, integrity and ownership, the company has grown from a local Australian foundation into an international food business.

The business leads the frozen savoury and frozen meals categories, operates six manufacturing sites across Australia and New Zealand, and employs more than 1,700 people. Its purpose is to bring customers tasty, convenient food today, tomorrow and into the future.

About the role

An opportunity exists for an Innovation Technologist to join the Research & Development team at the Pakenham site on a 12-month fixed term basis. This role is central to creating and commercialising new products while also contributing to ongoing improvement across manufacturing operations.

Key responsibilities

• Drive product innovation and development initiatives from the initial idea stage through to commercial release.
• Create and refine formulations for both new and existing products within the Patties range.
• Plan, run and document product and process trials, including setup, execution and post-trial review.
• Work with Procurement, Finance and Operations to uncover savings opportunities and improve ingredient use and formula efficiency.
• Set, assess and confirm internal shelf-life expectations for work-in-progress components, premixes and blends.
• Make sure new and updated products comply with food safety, quality and regulatory obligations.
• Prepare product samples for internal tasting, customer sign-off and laboratory analysis.
• Maintain accurate product specifications, formulations and trial records with a strong emphasis on first-time-right execution.
• Support initial production runs through line setup, ingredient preparation, troubleshooting and process tuning.
• Partner with Engineering and Production to solve manufacturing issues without compromising food safety or product quality.
• Suggest formulation and process changes to address production problems and improve efficiency.
• Guide and train production teams on recipe updates, process changes and product impacts.
• Coordinate across functions to ensure product launches are delivered smoothly and successfully.
• Champion workplace safety by following OH&S requirements and modelling safe work practices.

About you

To succeed in this position, you should bring a genuine interest in food innovation along with relevant technical and collaborative skills.

Requirements

• A qualification in Food Technology, Food Science, Baking, Pastry or a related field.
• Background in a food manufacturing environment, preferably in product development, process development or R&D.
• Experience with pastry, baking or savoury product development will be considered an advantage.
• Strong knowledge of food safety standards, HACCP and quality assurance methods.
• Proven project management capability and the ability to balance multiple priorities.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills for working across varied teams and stakeholders.
• A proactive mindset with strong problem-solving ability and a focus on continuous improvement.
• Comfort using Microsoft Office Suite and quickly adapting to new systems.
• Exposure to Hamilton Grant software will be highly regarded.
• Willingness to work flexible hours when needed for trials and production support.
• A current Australian Driver's Licence.
• Full Australian working rights.

What’s on offer

• Competitive pay package.
• Genuine work-life balance with flexible working arrangements.
• Opportunities to progress your career in a collaborative and supportive environment.
• The chance to work with passionate professionals who share similar values.
• Employee benefits including salary packaging options.
• Take-home products for you and your family.
• Employee Assistance Program, supportive parental leave policies and social and engagement activities.
• Modern facilities and amenities with a strong emphasis on wellbeing and safety.

Additional information

This is a 12-month fixed term role based at Pakenham, Victoria, Australia. The company is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to an inclusive workplace where people are treated fairly and respectfully.

The employer does not accept unsolicited resumes from agencies. No fee will be payable if a candidate is hired from an agency submission without a valid written recruitment agreement, and such resumes will be treated as the property of the company.

The team culture is described as hungry, humble and focused.

Flexible working hours may be required to support trials and production activities.

Workplace focus

The role requires close collaboration with Procurement, Operations, Engineering, Quality, Production and Finance teams to deliver innovation, manage technical challenges and support product launches.