Raw Material QA Technician

Join Our Pack 🐶🍽️

From a bold idea to revolutionising dog food, Years has grown into a fast-scaling business dedicated to helping dogs live longer, healthier lives.

In just 3 years, we’ve built a great start up business, serving thousands of happy customers, all while striving to achieve our mission.

Our goal? To give dog owners a better, fresher, and healthier way to feed their pets. We provide human cut, personalised meals designed to support each dog’s unique needs, delivered straight to their door - no preservatives, no compromises, just real nutrition.

You can find our customers across the UK, with future ambitions to scale internationally and continue transforming how people care for their dogs. 🚀

Your Mission

As a Raw Material QA Technician, you'll be responsible for the quality control of raw materials entering site, from intake sampling and testing through to specification management. The role ensures every raw material meets Years' quality standards before it's released into production, and supports wider food safety compliance through cold store temperature monitoring.

Key Responsibilities

●      Sample and test incoming raw materials in line with agreed testing protocols and frequencies

●      Check raw materials on intake against specification, covering visual inspection, documentation, and any required physical or chemical checks

●      Create, maintain, and update raw material intake specifications, keeping them aligned with supplier data and current formulations

●      Record and check fridge and cold store temperatures across P1 and P2, escalating any deviations immediately

●      Identify and quarantine any non-conforming raw materials, raising holds and non-conformance reports as required

●      Maintain accurate, audit-ready intake and testing records

●      Liaise with suppliers and the wider technical team on quality queries, certificates of analysis, and traceability documentation

●      Support internal and external audits (SALSA, APHA, customer) with intake QC records and evidence

●      Flag recurring supplier quality issues to the Technical Manager

Qualifications

●      Food safety qualification (Level 2 minimum; Level 3 desirable)

●      HACCP awareness training

●      GCSEs or equivalent including English and Maths

Experience

●      Experience in a QA or technical role within food or feed manufacturing

●      Experience with raw material sampling, testing, or goods-in inspection

●      Comfortable working with specifications, certificates of analysis, and supplier documentation

●      Confident using Excel and internal systems for record-keeping

●      Good attention to detail and comfortable raising issues without prompting

What’s In It For You? Years Benefits

• £30,000 PA
• Annual £250.00 Learning & Development budget for courses, books or other self-learn activities
• Access to Spill EAP and Mental Wellbeing support
• Annual £200.00 Wellbeing budget
• Up to 2 weeks working abroad per year (selected roles)
• Monthly recognition through our Yappa of The Month programme
• 1 Volunteer day per year - dog themed or not: it’s your choice!
• Subsidised employee groups - from five a side to padel there’s loads to get involved in or the chance to start up your own group
• Quarterly subsidised team events from Axe throwing, crazy golf to cocktail making
• Exclusive discounts on Years and Years treats for yourself and friends/family
• Lunch & Learn programme - from dog first aid to financial savviness we’ve got sessions planned to cover all kinds of topics
• Casual dress
• Your birthday off or different day if it falls on a non-working day
• Ability to sell any unused holiday back to Years at the end of the Holiday Year (maximum 1 working week)