Specification Management Expert

What’s Cooking? is a European fresh savoury food group headquartered in Belgium which commercialises in Europe and beyond a wide range of high-quality and innovative savoury cold cuts, snacking and ready meal food products (also known from Come a casa®), and related services. “Day by day, we make sustainable food second nature by increasing the world’s appetite for tasty, convenient meals, crafted with care both for the people and the planet”. Our customers and consumers are always on our hungry minds when preparing our food products, as is the well-being of our approximately 2,500 employees from our headquarter, 12 industrial sites in Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Poland, and the UK, and 7 sales offices. What’s Cooking Group (previously named Ter Beke) exists for 75 years, is listed as family company on Euronext Brussels since 1986 (EBR: WHATS) and realised a turnover of EUR 832 million in 2023.

For the division Ready Meals we are looking for a Specification Management Expert.

As a Specification Management expert, you will be responsible for maintaining the specifications regarding (meat) raw materials, ingredients, auxiliary materials, packaging, trade goods and end products of the group, in order to ensure optimal management within the organization, with respect for customer-specific requirements.

• You manage and keep all product information in the field of (meat) raw materials, ingredients, excipients, packaging materials and trade goods up to date, in order to make a functional and correct database available within the organization.
• You assess product information received from suppliers for accuracy and completeness and requests the missing information. You approve the information of suppliers (clearance). Depending on customer-specific requirements and changing legislation.
• You manage the quality-related documentation of suppliers of (meat) raw materials, ingredients, excipients, packaging materials and trade goods, and ensures that they are up to date at all times.
• You gather knowledge about customer-specific requirements, end products, product-related legislation, in order to centralize the information within the organization. You disseminate this knowledge to all branches within the group.
• You translate the internal information from recipes into information intended for product packaging, product specifications and specification systems and customer portals, in compliance with applicable legislation and in line with customer-specific requirements. Negotiates with customers on how to fill in product specifications and create labels.
• You approve the legal information on labels before they are printed, in order to ensure that the labelling of finished products complies with the legislation in force.
• You are responsible for the creation of specifications for intercompany products.
• You monitor the evolutions within the field, in order to provide correct and up-to-date answers to questions from internal and external customers.

• You hold a Master’s degree (e.g., Industrial Sciences, Biochemistry, Chemistry) or equivalent experience.
• You preferably have 3 years of relevant experience within the food industry.
• You are a strong communicator and fluent in Dutch and/or French, and English.
• You enjoy taking responsibility and can work independently and problem-solve effectively. Analytical skills, organizational skills and flexibility are key.
• You will mainly work at our headquarters in Lievegem but are willing to travel to our other sites if needed.

• You will find yourself in an exciting environment in a stable, innovative and a progressive Belgian food group with international appeal.
• Your colleagues are ready to welcome you with open arms and share their experience with you. A warm atmosphere and personal approach ensure that you are fully on track.
• Naturally, you can count on a competitive salary package complemented by numerous fringe benefits.
• Finally, we find it particularly important that you feel at home in our organization. What's Cooking? is a stable company with an open and informal corporate culture, we are proud of what we do, share successes and enjoy working together.