Raw Material QA Technician
More Years · Nuthall, Nottingham
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Why this role matters
How close this job is to real sourcing and menu decisions.
This is a technical quality-control role in a pet food manufacturer, checking that raw materials meet specification before they enter production. It's not a seat that sets supplier standards or sourcing policy: the specs and testing protocols already exist, and this role verifies compliance against them. That said, it builds real, transferable food-safety and QA credentials (SALSA and APHA audit exposure, specification management, supplier documentation, traceability) inside a fast-growing food manufacturing business. That is a legitimate foundation for later technical or supplier-quality roles with more standing over what gets specified, including the standards raw material suppliers are held to.
Where this role can take you
What this job teaches you, and the jobs it can lead to.
What you'd build
- Raw material specification management
- Food safety audit exposure (SALSA, APHA)
- Supplier quality documentation review
- Non-conformance and quarantine procedures
- Goods-in inspection and testing protocols
Where it can lead
- Quality Assurance Officer
- Technical Manager
- Supplier Quality Manager
These roles typically hold responsibility for setting supplier quality criteria and audit requirements, giving more direct influence over the standards raw material suppliers must meet.
About the role
Years is a fast-scaling start-up producing fresh, human-cut, personalised dog food meals delivered direct to customers. The Raw Material QA Technician is responsible for the quality control of raw materials entering the site, from intake sampling and testing through to specification management, ensuring every raw material meets Years' quality standards before release into production, and supporting wider food safety compliance through cold store temperature monitoring. Key responsibilities include sampling and testing incoming raw materials against agreed testing protocols and frequencies; checking raw materials on intake against specification through visual inspection, documentation review, and physical or chemical checks; creating, maintaining and updating raw material intake specifications in line with supplier data and current formulations; recording and checking fridge and cold store temperatures across P1 and P2, escalating deviations immediately; identifying and quarantining non-conforming raw materials, raising holds and non-conformance reports as required; maintaining accurate, audit-ready intake and testing records; liaising with suppliers and the wider technical team on quality queries, certificates of analysis, and traceability documentation; supporting internal and external audits (SALSA, APHA, customer) with intake QC records and evidence; and flagging recurring supplier quality issues to the Technical Manager. Essential qualifications are a food safety qualification (Level 2 minimum, Level 3 desirable), HACCP awareness training, and GCSEs or equivalent including English and Maths. Candidates should have experience in a QA or technical role within food or feed manufacturing, experience with raw material sampling, testing or goods-in inspection, comfort working with specifications, certificates of analysis and supplier documentation, confidence using Excel and internal systems for record-keeping, and good attention to detail with a willingness to raise issues without prompting. The role is full time and on-site in Nottingham, England. Salary is £30,000 per annum, with benefits including a £250 annual Learning & Development budget, access to Spill EAP and mental wellbeing support, a £200 annual wellbeing budget, up to two weeks working abroad per year for selected roles, monthly recognition scheme, one volunteer day per year, subsidised employee interest groups, quarterly subsidised team events, staff discounts, a Lunch & Learn programme, casual dress, birthday off, and the option to sell back unused holiday.
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Key terms to include in your CV and cover letter
What this employer is asking for, in their words. Applications are often screened by software looking for exact phrases, so if these describe your experience, use their wording.
- raw material specification management
- goods-in inspection
- intake sampling and testing
- non-conformance reporting
- quarantine procedures
- certificates of analysis
- supplier documentation
- traceability documentation
- cold store temperature monitoring
- SALSA audit
- APHA audit
- HACCP awareness
- food safety qualification
- audit-ready record keeping
- Excel record-keeping
- attention to detail
How to position yourself
The language that works with hiring managers for this kind of job.
Frame your experience around food safety compliance, audit-readiness and specification management — these are the vocabulary that translates directly into technical or quality roles across food manufacturing more broadly. Building a food safety qualification (Level 3) and HACCP fluency, plus direct exposure to SALSA and APHA audits, are the concrete credentials worth highlighting for a next move into a broader technical or supplier quality role.
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