Pilot Plant Technician

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join a world leading global organisation, our global FMCG client (the powerhouse behind brands such as Walls, Persil, Magnum and Knorr) as a Pilot Plant Technician to be based in Port Sunlight R&D, Wirral (working 3 days per week on site then 2 days from home. This is a full-time temporary role for 12 months, paying up to £27,500 pro rata, per annum depending on experience.

Please note: The successful candidate will be required to be on site full time for the first 2 weeks for training.

Role Background

The job holder will work as part of the Advanced Manufacturing Centre pilot plant team in Research & Development, delivering high quality product innovations to support Home and Personal Care category innovation programmes. They will work closely with process development engineers and R&D scientists to assist with operational tasks which support ongoing pilot plant manufacturing trial programmes.

Key Accountabilities

• Management of raw material & finished product inventory (including the use of specialist computer systems) to ensure manufacturing efficiency and traceability, efficient use of storage facilities, and the maintenance of technical and safety databases for materials in accordance with regulatory requirements.
• Supporting execution of processing trials, from raw material pre-weigh through to finished product storage, by operating equipment in a manner consistent with relevant SHE policies, Standard Operating Procedures, Good Manufacturing Practises, and relevant Hygiene Standards for the study in question.
• Delivering quality by carrying out QC checks on products using analytical equipment such as pH and viscometers, accurately reporting values using digital tools and interrogating control and data acquisition systems for setpoints and actual values.
• Responsibility for undertaking cleaning including Cleaning In Place and maintenance duties required to ensure safety and efficiency of pilot plant operations, including custodianship of equipment and maintenance of the relevant suite of operational, safety and compliance related documentation (Risk Assessment, SOP, critical spares list, etc).
• Responsibility for the delivery of continuous improvement activities under the direction of the pilot plant manager and safety coordinator as part of our 5S and preventative maintenance programmes.
• Key RequirementsRequired

• Experience operating pilot scale process equipment / machinery (preferable) or manufacturing scale equipment.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills including fluent English.
• Experience of working in an R&D or operational environment in either the consumer goods industry or other related industry e.g. pharmaceutical, chemical etc.
• Innovative approach to problem solving.
• Well organised and with a passion for products and consumers.
• Information Handling through the production/editing of documents and via the operation of specialist computer systems - experience of using Microsoft Office & other relevant software packages is essential.
• Appropriate level of physical fitness required for the frequent movement of materials, standing operation of equipment, facilities & equipment cleaning and other associated manual handling tasks.
• Experience managing the inventory of finished products and raw materials including appropriate preparation of (weighing, decanting & mixing), handling, and storage.
• Experience following and contributing to SOP's, Safety Policies and other guidelines and maintenance of technical & safety data.
• Education to A Levels / Apprenticeship equivalent

Desirable

• Experience of working in a hygienic environment or under guidelines stipulated by Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP).
• Experience of working in a Lean / TPM / 5S facility, working on continuous improvement projects or following/contributing to manufacturing excellence initiatives.
• RTITB Licensed FLT / POET driver.
• Ordering of materials and parts from suppliers using procurement/purchasing systems.
• Experience training others in the use of equipment or machinery & ability to share knowledge and best practise with colleagues.