Role: Technical Manager - Food
Location: On site 5 days a week at our R&D labs in Haverhill or out in the field at food factories/retail trial sites.
Full time - Permanent
About Us:
Klura Ltd is an innovative biotech company transforming the food system from the ground up. Our mission is simple but massive: change how we preserve food, extend shelf-life, and drastically reduce global food waste, contributing to global food security.
Our technology bridges the gap between sustainability and profitability. We help growers and retailers see less waste and higher ROI, while empowering consumers with fresh produce that actually lasts. We are a team of forward-thinkers, scientists, and problem-solvers rewriting the rules of food preservation. Join us and help make a measurable impact on the planet every single day.
About the Role:
Are you a hands-on technical expert who loves seeing science come to life in the real world?
At Klura, we’re looking for a Technical Manager in food to be the vital bridge between our advanced functional packaging and live commercial food systems. Reporting directly to the Product Innovation Director, you will be the ultimate cross-functional connector. You’ll collaborate closely with our in-house Microbiology team (the experts on safety and pathogen testing) and our Materials Science team (the innovators designing our active polymer matrices).
Your mission? Take their baseline lab discoveries and translate them into scalable, real-world packaging solutions for our clients. Just as importantly, you'll gather feedback from the field and bring those industry insights back to our science teams to drive future innovation.
Key Responsibilities
● Inter-Departmental Collaboration: Serve as the practical link between our science teams and industry. You will sync formulation chemistry and baseline microbial data into synchronised packaging application matrix trials.
● Real-World Application Trials: Lead the end-to-end setup and monitoring of physical shelf-life validation trials under realistic commercial supply chain stresses. Co-create practical solutions for technology integration alongside clients and the science team.
● Physical & Chemical Testing: Track, quantify, and analyse vital product quality over time in close collaboration with clients and the in-house science team.
● Sensory & Visual Organoleptic Panels: Establish and coordinate detailed internal and external sensory panels to rigorously document taste, texture, aroma, and commercial aesthetic preservation.
● On-Site Client Trials: Travel to and manage live pilots within industrial client environments—including packing houses, commercial bakeries, and protein processors—ensuring smooth operational integration of Klura packaging tech.
● Data Translation for Innovation: Compile trial datasets into technical application portfolios for the Product Innovation Director, giving clear evidence to support commercialisation or formula iterations.
Qualifications/ Skills & Experience
● Education: BSc in Food Science, Food Technology, or a closely applied food-related discipline.
● Sector Competence: 3+ years of technical experience in applications, product development, or quality management. Verifiable experience working within at least two of our core target sectors (Meat/Fish/Poultry, Bakery, or Fresh Produce/Berries) is a must.
● Food Science & Chemistry Fluency: A strong baseline understanding of structural food decay and food safety mechanisms.
● Packaging Interactivity: A solid grasp of industrial packaging mechanics, gas barrier values, Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP), or active packaging systems.
● Stakeholder Communication: Outstanding communication skills. You must be able to confidently act as the technical bridge between core lab scientists, founders, directors, and factory-floor clients.
What We Offer
● Competitive Compensation: A highly competitive base salary paired with performance-based bonuses and equity options, ensuring you share in our long-term success.
● Green Benefits: Access to our Salary Sacrifice Electric Car scheme, helping you lower your carbon footprint outside of work, too.
● Growth & Innovation: Work in state-of-the-art laboratory facilities with dedicated funding for your continued professional development.
● Unmatched Exposure: Gain deep, cross-functional exposure working alongside world-class biotech and polymer science pioneers.
● Real Global Impact: The unique opportunity to be an early, influential part of a high-growth scale-up actively disrupting a multi-billion-dollar sector and fixing the global food system.
If you are an innovative, collaborative Food Technologist who wants to make a genuine difference in the global food system, thrives in a fast-paced environment, and excels working autonomously, we would love to hear from you. Please apply at [email protected]
Pay: From £50,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Canteen
- Employee stock purchase plan
- Enhanced maternity leave
- Enhanced paternity leave
- Free parking
- On-site parking
Education:
Experience:
- Food Technology: 5 years (required)
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Willingness to travel:
Work Location: In person
