BAT is evolving at pace into a global multi-category business. Our purpose is to create A Better Tomorrow™ by Building a Smokeless World.
To achieve our ambition, we are looking for colleagues who are ready to join us on this journey! Tomorrow can’t wait, let’s shape it together!
British American Tobacco UK has an exciting opportunity for a Flavourist I in Southampton
What are the key objectives and expectations from this role?
This role applies flavour science, sensory expertise, and data-driven approaches to design and deliver differentiated flavour systems that create competitive advantage within BAT’s product portfolio.
The Flavourist I operates with a strong focus on speed, quality, and consumer preference, delivering flavours that are optimised for specific product platforms and capable of rapid scale-up.
The role is expected to integrate digital tools, supplier innovation, and structured ways of working to accelerate flavour development, improve efficiency, and enable reuse of knowledge and systems.
What is the direct impact of this role on the team or organization?
Contributes directly to BAT’s product success by delivering flavour solutions that:
- Enhance consumer appeal and product superiority
- Enable faster product development cycles
- Build distinctive, proprietary flavour capability
Supports the development of internal capability and contributes to the evolution of flavour development as a data-driven, digitally enabled discipline.
Your key responsibilities will include:
- Design, co-create, and deliver differentiated flavour solutions that achieve clear consumer preference and align with product, brand, and business requirements.
- Lead flavour development projects from concept to scale-up, ensuring robustness, consistency, manufacturability, and delivery against timelines.
- Accelerate innovation through rapid prototyping, test-and-learn methodologies, and efficient decision-making, balancing speed, quality, and risk.
- Leverage data-driven, digital, and AI-enabled tools to accelerate ideation, optimise flavour formulations, improve outcomes, and enhance knowledge generation.
- Maintain high-quality data capture, documentation, and knowledge management practices to ensure traceability, continuous learning, and effective reuse of flavour solutions and building blocks.
- Collaborate effectively with internal collaborators and external flavour partners, applying expertise and innovation capabilities to deliver superior flavour solutions.
- Ensure compliance with all regulatory, quality, and intellectual property requirements, protecting BAT’s proprietary flavour technologies and competitive advantage across global markets.
- Continuously develop technical expertise and contribute to capability building, driving personal growth while enhancing the uniqueness, consistency, and excellence of BAT product flavours.
What are we looking for?
- Relevant flavour development expertise with a proven track record of delivering consumer-relevant flavour solutions within a defined product category and working effectively with external flavour suppliers and partners.
- Strong cross-functional collaboration and project delivery skills, with experience operating in fast-paced product development environments, managing competing priorities, and delivering results within challenging timelines.
- Proficiency in digital tools and project management practices, including formulation management, data capture, project tracking, and the application of strong organizational, time management, and teamwork skills to drive successful outcomes.
- Technical expertise in flavour science, supported by a background in food science, flavours, perfumery, scents, or a related field, with a strong understanding of flavour chemistry and flavour development principles.
- Strong sensory and analytical capabilities, with the ability to evaluate and optimise flavour profiles, solve complex problems, and make data-informed decisions in a fast-paced environment.
- Digital and continuous improvement approach, including the ability to leverage data, modelling, and AI-enabled tools, while finding opportunities to simplify processes and improve ways of working.
- Effective collaboration and execution skills, demonstrated through strong cross-functional and external stakeholder management, alongside excellent organisational, time management, and delivery-focused capabilities.
- Degree-level qualification in a relevant scientific field (e.g. chemistry, food science, or related discipline)
What we offer you?
- We offer a market leading annual performance bonus (subject to eligibility)
- Our range of benefits varies by country and includes diverse health plans, initiatives for work-life balance, transportation support, and a flexible holiday plan with additional incentives.
- Your journey with us isn't limited by boundaries; it's propelled by your aspirations. Join us at BAT and become a part of an environment that thrives on internal advancement, where your career progression isn't just a statement – it's a reality we're eager to build together. Seize the opportunity and own your development; your next chapter starts here.
- You'll have access to online learning platforms and personalized growth programs to nurture your leadership skills.
- We prioritise continuous improvement within a transformative environment, preparing for ongoing changes.
WHY JOIN BAT?
We’re one of the few companies named as a Global Top Employer by the Top Employers Institute – certified in offering excellent employee conditions.
At BAT, we champion collaboration, inclusion, and partnership as the bedrock of our values. We wish to foster an environment where every individual can thrive, irrespective of factors such as gender, sexual orientation, marital or civil partnership status, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, disability, age, skills, experience, education, socio-economic and professional background, as well as diverse perspectives and thinking styles. We recognise that our strength lies in embracing talent from all walks of life, empowering us to develop our culture of inclusivity and better achieve our business objectives.
We view career breaks not as obstacles but as opportunities and encourage everyone, without hesitation, to apply. Through our Global Returners program, we provide support to professionals seeking to re-enter the workforce after an extended absence, be it for family care, parental leave, national service, sabbatical, or starting their own venture.
Come bring your difference and see what is possible for you at BAT. Learn more about our culture and our award winning employee experience here.
We take pride in being a Disability Confident Employer. If you need any reasonable adjustments or accommodations to be made during the recruitment process to support you performing at your best, please inform the recruitment partner who will be in touch should your profile be selected for the role you applied for. We are wholeheartedly committed to optimising your prospects of success by making suitable arrangements so that you may showcase your full potential.