Emirates Flight Catering (EKFC) in Dubai is seeking a passionate and experienced Food Technologist to join their world-class Concept Development & Research team. This senior role leads the design, development, and optimization of food processing technologies and systems company-wide — enhancing product quality, safety, and manufacturing efficiency. From managing pilot-to-commercial scale-up to coaching a team of food technologists, this is one of the most prestigious and technically ambitious food technology roles available in the UAE in 2026.
 About Emirates Flight Catering— Dubai
Company: Emirates Flight Catering — one of the world’s largest and most respected aviation catering and food production companies
Scale: Serves millions of airline passengers globally with exceptional dining experiences from Dubai International Airport
Division: Concept Development & Research — responsible for food innovation, processing technology, and product development
Products: Bakery, processed meats, frozen ready-to-eat meals, and multi-cuisine dining across diverse airline clients
Standards: World-class QMS, HACCP, GMP, food safety, and nutritional integrity standards across all operations
 Role Purpose — What This Position Delivers
Processing Systems: Design, develop, and optimize food processing systems and machinery for new and existing product lines
Shelf-Life Innovation: Lead product preservation strategies including re-formulation, process optimization, and packaging interventions
Scale-Up: Manage the scale-up of products from pilot plant to full-scale commercial production
Team Leadership: Manage and develop a team of food technologists, enhancing technical expertise and managing project workloads
Budget Support: Support Sr. Manager in managing project budgets and contributing to cost control initiatives
 Position Overview
This Food Technologist role at Emirates Flight Catering is a senior, multi-dimensional position that combines advanced food process engineering, team leadership, cross-functional collaboration, and commercial innovation in one of the world’s most operationally complex food manufacturing environments. You will be responsible for the complete lifecycle of food processing technology — from designing and optimizing systems and machinery to managing pilot plant scale-up, embedding food safety standards, and leading a high-performing team of food technologists.
EKFC’s Concept Development & Research team operates at the cutting edge of aviation catering food science — developing products and processes that must meet the extraordinary quality, safety, and shelf-life demands of in-flight dining for millions of passengers across hundreds of global airline routes. For a food engineer or food technologist with 7+ years of FMCG or CPG experience, this is one of the most technically exciting and globally impactful roles available in Dubai’s food industry in 2026.
 Why This Role Matters: Emirates Flight Catering feeds millions of airline passengers every year — and the Food Technologist is the engineering and science leader who ensures every product is not only exceptional in quality and taste, but safe, shelf-stable, and efficiently produced at commercial scale. From frozen ready-to-eat meal formulations to bakery and processed meat production systems, this role directly shapes the dining experience of global travelers while advancing EKFC’s position as the world’s leading aviation catering innovator.
 Key Responsibilities
Food Processing System Design & Optimization
- Design, develop, and optimize food processing systems and machinery for new and existing products — enhancing quality and manufacturing efficiency across diverse product lines including bakery, processed meats, and frozen ready-to-eat meals.
- Provide deep technical expertise for key food manufacturing processes — leveraging engineering principles to optimize parameters for mixing, freezing, heat transfer, mass transfer, refrigeration, and preservation while maintaining food quality and microbiological safety.
- Design, maintain, and optimize detailed food process specifications, equipment parameters, and workflows to maximize efficiency, safety, and sanitation — ensuring compliance with established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) at all times.
Product Preservation & Shelf-Life Innovation
- Lead research and implementation of product preservation strategies including re-formulation, process optimization, and packaging interventions to extend shelf-life while maintaining sensory attributes and microbiological safety for in-flight dining products.
- Apply advanced knowledge of food science, microbiology, and food safety to develop preservation solutions that meet the specific quality and safety demands of aviation catering operations.
- Monitor product stability and evaluate shelf-life requirements throughout development and commercial production stages to ensure consistent product performance.
Scale-Up from Pilot to Commercial Production
- Manage the complete scale-up of products from pilot plant to full-scale commercial production — ensuring production consistency, quality standards, and manufacturing efficiency are maintained throughout the transition.
- Coordinate with Production, Operations, and Maintenance teams to ensure seamless implementation of new processing technologies and production systems at commercial scale.
- Identify and resolve technical challenges that arise during scale-up — applying engineering expertise to optimize process parameters and eliminate production inefficiencies.
Food Safety, QMS & Compliance
- Develop and implement food processing technologies that incorporate comprehensive quality and food safety procedures — QMS, QA, QC, HACCP, and GMP — as defined within EKFC’s organizational standards.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with Nutritionists, Microbiologists, Production Chefs, and Operations teams to integrate food safety, nutrition labelling, and quality standards into all development and production activities.
- Identify, analyze, and lead process improvement projects to enhance yield, minimize waste, optimize resource utilization, and strengthen the safety and efficiency of production lines.
Team Management & Leadership
- Manage and develop a team of food technologists — enhancing their technical expertise, managing project workloads effectively, and supporting their career development and professional growth within EKFC.
- Support the Sr. Manager in managing project budgets to ensure cost control and efficiency — contributing to initiatives that have direct impact on the company’s operational expenses and overall budget performance.
- Provide technical mentorship and coaching to the food technology team — building a high-performing unit capable of delivering innovative food solutions at commercial scale.
 Minimum Education, Experience & Requirements
Educational Qualification
- Bachelor’s degree in Food Engineering, Food Process Engineering, or a closely related food science or engineering discipline — required
- Master’s degree in Food Engineering, Food Technology, or a related advanced discipline — strongly preferred and will be given priority in candidate selection
Work Experience
- Minimum 7 years of experience in a food processing or food engineering role within a Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) or Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) environment — mandatory
- Proven experience in managing and developing a technical team and demonstrated project budget management capability
- Aviation catering or hospitality sector experience is a highly valued added advantage — candidates with EKFC-relevant industry background will receive strong preference
 Why EKFC Is One of Dubai’s Premier Food Technology Employers in 2026
Emirates Flight Catering operates at a scale and standard that very few food companies in the world can match. Serving over 100 airline clients from Dubai International Airport — one of the world’s busiest — EKFC produces millions of meals annually across an extraordinary range of cuisines, dietary requirements, and product categories. For food technologists, this translates into unrivaled technical breadth, engineering complexity, and professional challenge.
A Food Technologist role at EKFC in 2026 places you at the very summit of the UAE’s food science and technology career landscape — with access to world-class production facilities, a global professional network, and the unique satisfaction of knowing that your work directly shapes the dining experience of millions of travelers every day. For senior food engineers and technologists looking for their next defining career challenge, this opportunity is exceptional.
Who Should Apply?
- Senior Food Process Engineers:Â With 7+ years in FMCG or CPG food processing environments and a strong engineering science background
- Food Technology Managers:Â With team leadership experience and a proven track record of managing pilot-to-commercial scale-up projects
- Shelf-Life & Preservation Specialists:Â With deep expertise in re-formulation, packaging interventions, and microbiological safety management
- Aviation or Hospitality Food Technologists:Â With experience in high-volume, multi-cuisine food production environments seeking a world-class employer
- Food Safety & QMS Experts:Â With HACCP, GMP, and food safety management system implementation experience in large-scale food manufacturing
- Gulf-Based Food Engineers:Â Seeking a senior leadership role at one of Dubai’s most globally recognized food production organizations
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