Innovation Centre Assistant

Description

Innovation Centre Assistant

Location: Head Office – Deeside (North Wales) – Iceland Innovation Centre

Hours: Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm (with flexibility between 8am–6pm to support business needs)

Be Part of Where Great Food Ideas Begin

At Iceland Foods, innovation is at the heart of everything we do. Behind every new product launch is a dedicated team working hard to bring exciting ideas to life for our customers.

We're looking for an enthusiastic and organised Innovation Centre Assistant to join our Innovation Centre in Deeside. This is a hands-on role supporting our busy product development and innovation teams, ensuring our kitchens, panel rooms and sample areas are maintained to the highest standards and ready to support the creation of future Iceland products.

As the role involves regular travel to retailers and suppliers to source products and samples, a full UK driving licence is essential.

If you enjoy working in a fast-paced environment, take pride in organisation and cleanliness and thrive on supporting a team to deliver great results, we'd love to hear from you!

What You'll Be Doing

As an Innovation Centre Assistant, you'll play a vital role in ensuring the smooth day-to-day operation of our Innovation Centre.

Your responsibilities will include:

Supporting Innovation Activities

• Preparing kitchen and panel areas for product tastings, showcases, reviews and meetings.
• Ensuring all kitchens and panel rooms are fully stocked and presentation ready.
• Supporting Development Chefs and Product Development teams with kitchen set-up and ongoing requirements.

Shopping & Purchasing

• Sourcing products and samples from retailers, farm shops, foodservice providers and other outlets.
• Managing shopping requests and planning efficient shopping routes.
• Ensuring purchased samples are stored correctly and stakeholders are informed of any issues.

Stock & Sample Management

• Monitoring inventory levels and ordering essential supplies.
• Supporting the organisation of sample storage areas.
• Maintaining clean, organised storage facilities.
• Assisting with sample clear-outs and charity donations where appropriate.
• Providing cover for sample management activities during holidays, sickness and lunch breaks.

Kitchen & Facility Standards

• Maintaining exceptional cleanliness across the Innovation Centre kitchens.
• Operating dishwashers and managing pot wash areas.
• Cleaning and sanitising utensils, equipment, pots and pans.
• Performing regular deep cleaning of kitchen equipment, including ovens, fridges, freezers and microwaves.
• Ensuring all kitchen and innovation areas are cleaned, stocked and prepared for the following day.

Administration Support

• Maintaining petty cash records and processing receipts accurately.
• Supporting credit card reconciliation processes.
• Booking pool vehicles for shopping and sample collection activities.
• Reporting maintenance requirements and equipment issues promptly.

What We're Looking For

• Full UK driving licence is essential.
• Highly organised with excellent attention to detail.
• Proactive with ability to use initiative.
• Comfortable working at pace and managing multiple priorities.
• A strong communicator who builds positive relationships with colleagues and suppliers.
• Flexible and adaptable when priorities change.
• Positive, approachable and team focused.
• Ability to work independently whilst supporting a wider team.
• Confident using Microsoft Office applications.

About You

You're someone who:

• Takes pride in maintaining high standards.
• Enjoys working in a hands-on environment.
• Can remain calm and focused under pressure.
• Is eager to learn and continuously improve.
• Brings energy, enthusiasm and a positive attitude to work every day.
• Enjoys being part of a collaborative and innovative team.

Why Join Iceland?

At Iceland, we're proud of our unique culture and the opportunities we create for our colleagues. You'll work alongside passionate food innovation professionals and play a key role in bringing exciting new products to life for millions of customers.

If you're organised, proactive and passionate about keeping things running smoothly behind the scenes, we'd love you to join our Innovation Centre team.

Apply today and help shape the future of food innovation at Iceland!