Product technology and science

Product technologists and scientists have to ensure products are up to scratch before they go on sale to the consumer. They are needed for a wide range of retail products such as clothing, food, fabrics, home wares, electrical goods and children’s toys. Technologists are responsible for the quality, safety and legality of their products as well as launching new ones and continuously improving existing ones. This might involve lowering the salt and fat content of a food product, developing the quality of fabrics or checking the safety of an electrical gadget.

A typical week is spent partly in the office, in store, in testing centres and visiting suppliers. You might also visit competitors to compare the quality, cost and design of products.

It is very important to work closely with suppliers to know exactly what is going into the products and ensure that they are being produced ethically, using the most suitable raw materials. Visiting suppliers could entail reviewing a particular product in detail: examining its specifications, looking at microbiological results, reviewing any complaints and conducting a compliance audit.

Travelling to suppliers or competitors often means early starts and late finishes but can be a prime time to make phone calls and catch up with paperwork, so reduces your time behind a desk.

'As you progress you might go abroad on research trips to study different cultures. This could be a trip to Italy to study their cuisine, cooking style or fabrics and returning home to improve a range of Italian goods.'

Back at the office, work usually involves administration tasks such as sampling products, checking new packaging artwork, monitoring and following up any customer complaints and attending internal meetings. Working closely with the buyers and product developers is essential.

Starting out

You could begin by working in store to learn about the retailer’s products and get to know the operations involved. This will give you hands-on experience and enable you to go on to develop products that customers will want to buy and staff will want to handle. You are likely to be given key projects by the store manager to work on during this time. With some further training, job shadowing and ongoing mentoring, you can then work your way up to managing your own set of products.

An exciting perk to the job is the possibility of going on a ‘research and reapply’ trip. It is important to keep up to date with the latest trends and deliver an authentic product, so as you progress you might go abroad to study a different culture and report your findings. This could be a trip to Italy to study their cuisine, cooking style or fabrics and returning home to improve a range of Italian goods.

If you choose to work in food technology you also have product sampling to look forward to – this might be carried out in a specialist centre. For example, Sainsbury’s have their own Food and Innovation Centre that houses kitchens, food-tasting areas and demonstration areas.

Skills required

Recruiters will look for a degree in product technology or science, or a subject relevant to your chosen product area: this could range from food science or fashion studies to manufacturing engineering or applied chemistry.

As well as proof of technical knowledge you’ll need a passion for your product, good project and time management skills, verbal and written communication skills, an ability to work on your own as well as in a team, and excellent attention to detail. Employers are looking for enthusiastic and motivated graduates with a willingness to learn.

Sue Ogden is product technologist for bakery and dairy chilled desserts at Sainsbury’s.