Animal Nutritionist – Blackburn

Position Overview

The Animal Nutritionist will play a critical role supporting the business in developing new and existing nutritionally balanced pet food products. Collaborating with cross functional teams such as NPD & Innovation, Marketing, Sales, Technical and Quality Assurance to ensure our products are not only nutritionally complete but also appealing and safe for pets.

Location

Blackburn, Hybrid working possible

Company Overview

Pets Choice is a leading Pet Food and Pet Products Manufacturer with sites based in Blackburn, Cardiff and Yatton, Somerset.

Pets are our passion!

We put all of our love, fun, understanding and inventiveness into everything we make and it shows.

Role:

• Technical & NPD
• Creating technical dossiers to support existing and new marketing claims across the Pets Choice range of products.
• Conduct research and present key pet nutritional and health trends/concerns into the development and marketing teams.
• Manage nutritional testing and any recipe modifications of Pets Choice complete and balanced products to ensure nutritional and regulatory compliance.
• Build good relationships with ingredient suppliers.
• Provide insight on innovative ingredients with potential nutritional and health benefits for pets and recommendations for NPD opportunities.
• Formulate recipes and conduct production trials for NPD/EPD projects.
• Look for opportunities to conduct ‘clinical’ trials to support product/ingredient claims.
• Assist with understanding FEDIAF, VMD and ASA labelling claims – and PARNUTS for any medicinal claims.
• Create tailored nutritional feeding plans for to support weight loss for dogs.
• Marketing
• Support in the creation of social media and communications guidelines for all brands, providing advice on product claims and Q&A’s.
• Researching, writing and editing nutritional blogs, articles and assisting with press releases.
• Provide input and approve pack copy documents and artworks from nutritional and labelling compliance.
• Attend events, trade shows, exhibitions, or trend seminars and present back findings.
• Lead change projects if nutritional changes are required.
• Collate changes to packaging to ensure ongoing packs remain compliant.
• Audit our products recipes and pack communications against competitors and contribute to sell in materials.
• Sales
• Provide training and education for staff and additional training for trade customers/vets
• Presenting at conferences/events where required
• Provide nutritional support to consumers as our in-house nutritionist via email, social media or telephone
• Assist the Customer Service team with queries relating to Shopify, subscriptions, product enquiries and complaints / concerns
• Assist with quality control queries
• Provide support for complaints relating to digestive problems to establish if there is a nutritional reason.

Key attributes and skills:

• Bachelor’s degree in Animal Nutrition
• Proven track record of developing and launching successful pet food products
• Deep understanding of animal physiology, nutritional needs and ingredient functionalities
• Analytical and research skills
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Ability to be self-sufficient as well as work collaboratively with teams