FOOD PROCESS SPECIALIST - RETORT & THERMAL PROCESSING

Job Responsibilities

• Plan and conduct retort trials with product development and production teams.
• Operate and monitor retort equipment, including temperature, pressure and processing time, according to approved procedures.
• Maintain trial reports, batch records and equipment logs.
• Identify processing deviations, troubleshoot issues, implement approved corrective procedures and coordinate maintenance and calibration.
• Check packaging and seal integrity and assess product quality.
• Coordinate with external technical partners on trials, testing and process validation.
• Develop SOPs and train production staff.
• Ensure compliance with food safety, hygiene and workplace safety requirements.

Requirements

• Minimum 2 years of hands-on experience operating retort equipment in food manufacturing.
• Knowledge of thermal processing, commercial sterilization and critical process controls.
• Experience handling retort pouches, trays, cans or other compatible packaging.
• Able to operate equipment independently under approved procedures, maintain accurate records and troubleshoot routine issues.
• Familiar with HACCP and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).
• Good planning, communication and coordination skills.
• NITEC, Diploma or relevant qualification in Food Science, Food Technology, Engineering or related discipline preferred.
• Experience in ready-to-eat meals, shelf-life studies or production scale-up.
• Experience in thermal processing studies and validation under technical guidance.

An Advantage

• Experience in ready-to-eat meals, shelf-life studies or commercial production scale-up.
• Experience in heat penetration studies and thermal process validation under qualified technical guidance.