This Dairy Technologist job description sets out the main duties, qualifications, skills and measures of success for the role, which is also known as Product Technologist, NPD Technologist, Process Technologist or Dairy Scientist. Download it free as a Word or PDF template and adapt it for your own vacancy.
| Job title | Dairy Technologist |
| Also known as | Product Technologist, NPD Technologist, Process Technologist, Dairy Scientist |
| Department | Dairy quality and laboratory |
| Reports to | Technical Manager or Product Development Manager |
| Direct reports | None |
What does a Dairy Technologist do?
Develops and improves dairy products and processes, from first trials to full-scale production. Owns product specifications and recipes, runs shelf-life studies and gives technical support to production, customers and the wider business.
Dairy Technologist duties and responsibilities
New product development and trials
- Develop new and improved dairy products, such as cheese, yoghurt, cream or powders, from brief to launch
- Plan and run bench, pilot and factory trials, and record results clearly
- Assess raw materials, ingredients and cultures, and work with suppliers on samples
- Hand over new products to production with recipes, process settings and training
Specifications and recipes
- Write and maintain product, raw material and packaging specifications
- Keep recipes, process parameters and label information accurate and controlled
- Check nutrition, allergen and ingredient declarations against recipes
- Manage recipe and specification changes through formal change control
Shelf life
- Design and run shelf-life studies covering microbiological, chemical and sensory change
- Organise sensory panels and interpret the results
- Set and validate shelf life and storage conditions using evidence
- Investigate shelf-life failures and recommend corrective actions
Process optimisation
- Analyse process data to improve yield, consistency and composition
- Reduce milk solids losses, rework and waste with production and engineering
- Support validation of process changes and new equipment
- Investigate product defects such as texture, flavour or stability problems and find root causes
Customer and technical support
- Answer customer technical questions, specification requests and questionnaires
- Investigate complaints with a technical cause and write clear reports
- Support customer visits and audits, and present trial results
- Keep up to date with dairy science, ingredients and food safety requirements
Dairy Technologist qualifications and experience
Essential
- Degree in dairy science, food science, food technology, microbiology or a related subject
- Experience in a technical, product development or process role in dairy or food manufacturing
- Good understanding of milk composition and dairy processes
- Working knowledge of HACCP, food safety and labelling requirements
- Experience planning, running and reporting trials
- Strong data analysis skills
Desirable
- Experience developing products for retail or food-service customers
- Experience running shelf-life and sensory studies
- Knowledge of statistical methods or design of experiments
- Advanced HACCP training
- Experience scaling up products from pilot plant to factory
Skills and attributes
- Scientific and analytical thinking
- Attention to detail
- Clear technical writing
- Project and time management
- Creative problem solving
- Teamwork across functions
- Confident communication with customers
How success is measured
- Development projects delivered to time and brief
- Trials completed and reported on schedule
- Specifications accurate and up to date
- Shelf-life studies completed and validated
- Yield and waste improvements delivered
- Customer technical queries answered on time
Working conditions and safety
Splits time between the laboratory, pilot plant, production areas and office, wearing hygiene clothing and PPE on site. Occasional early starts or late finishes for factory trials, and some travel to customers and suppliers.
- Follow health and safety rules and safe systems of work, and wear the correct PPE
- Follow food safety, hygiene, HACCP and quality procedures at all times
- Report hazards, accidents, near misses and concerns promptly
Dairy Technologist interview questions
Use these questions to assess candidates for a Dairy Technologist role. Each one includes what a good answer shows.
- Take us through a product you developed from brief to launch.
What a good answer shows: Describes the brief, trials, scale-up, specifications and handover, showing own role, problems solved and measurable results. - How would you design a shelf-life study for a new chilled dairy product?
What a good answer shows: Covers storage conditions, sampling plan, microbiological, chemical and sensory tests, abuse conditions and clear end-of-life criteria. - How does milk composition affect yield or quality in a product you know well?
What a good answer shows: Links fat, protein, casein or solids to yield, texture or stability, and describes standardisation or process adjustments. - How would you reduce variation in a product's texture?
What a good answer shows: Uses data to find variation in raw milk, recipe or process, runs controlled trials and confirms improvements statistically. - What food safety risks do you consider when changing a recipe or process?
What a good answer shows: Considers HACCP review, new allergens, pathogen growth, pH and water activity, labelling and validation before approval. - How do you work safely when running trials in production or the pilot plant?
What a good answer shows: Completes risk assessments, follows site rules and lock-out, briefs operators and never bypasses safety controls for a trial. - How do you work with production teams who are wary of disruptive factory trials?
What a good answer shows: Plans trials with production early, explains the purpose, minimises disruption, shares results and thanks the team. - Tell us about a time you worked across functions to solve a technical problem.
What a good answer shows: Gives a real example with quality, engineering or commercial colleagues, showing listening, shared ownership and a good outcome. - A customer complains that a product separates before the end of its shelf life. What do you do?
What a good answer shows: Gathers samples and data, checks batch records, tests likely causes, replies promptly and recommends corrective action. - Sales want a new product launched in six weeks, but trials are not complete. How do you respond?
What a good answer shows: Explains risks and remaining work clearly, proposes a realistic plan or options, and never compromises food safety or quality.
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Frequently asked questions
Develops and improves dairy products and processes, from first trials to full-scale production. Owns product specifications and recipes, runs shelf-life studies and gives technical support to production, customers and the wider business.
Employers usually look for: degree in dairy science, food science, food technology, microbiology or a related subject; experience in a technical, product development or process role in dairy or food manufacturing; good understanding of milk composition and dairy processes.
A Dairy Technologist usually reports to the Technical Manager or Product Development Manager.
Yes. Download the free Word template, add your location, contract and salary details, and adapt the duties to your site. You can then advertise the role on Dairy Jobs.
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