Dairy Lab Technician

Interested in a career that matters?

Interested in a career that matters?

Join Novonesis as a Dairy Application Lab Technician at our Dairy Local Application Centre in Midrand, Gauteng, South Africa. In this role, you will work closely with the Senior Application Specialist, Dairy sales team, and Global Application team to support customer projects, application trials, technical support, product launches, customer seminars, and local sales activities. You will contribute to helping customers successfully implement culture and enzyme solutions in dairy applications.

The role & your impact

As Dairy Application Lab Technician, you will support the operation of the Dairy Local Application Centre while contributing to customer-generated projects and the successful implementation of culture and enzyme solutions. Your work will combine practical laboratory and dairy application activities, technical customer support, data analysis and reporting, and collaboration across local and global teams.

Your key responsibilities in this role

• Operate and maintain the Dairy Local Application Centre in Midrand alongside the Senior Application Specialist, including implementation and maintenance of the ISO 22000 food safety management system.
• Design, follow, and execute customer-generated projects with the sales team, including appropriate data collection and validation.
• Provide technical and application support through customer presentations, plant visits, audits, troubleshooting, and phage audits when required.
• Prepare timely internal and external customer reports; collect, analyse, and interpret business and technical information; and maintain activity information in Salesforce, Benchling, PhageWatch, and OneMS.
• Support new product launches and concepts with the Global Application team, including PR activities, customer seminars, and local sales campaigns, and participate in weekly team meetings.

What you'll need to be successful in this role

• M.Sc. or B.Sc. in Food Science or Dairy Science.
• At least 2 years of relevant experience.
• Ability to read, write, and speak English.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to collect, analyse, and interpret business and technical information.
• Proficiency in relevant digital tools, including Salesforce, Benchling, PhageWatch, and OneMS.
• A valid driver's license, reliable transport, and a valid passport.

Additional skills & interests we value

• Practical dairy-industry experience and a sound theoretical understanding of dairy production processes.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• A collaborative approach to working in multidisciplinary and multicultural environments.
• A structured, energetic, flexible, and organised approach to work.
• Willingness to learn, prioritise effectively, and contribute beyond the formal scope of the role.

What we offer you

You will work in a multidisciplinary and multicultural environment with close collaboration across application, sales, and global teams. The role provides exposure to customer projects, technical support, application trials, product launches, customer seminars, and local sales initiatives, giving you opportunities to learn and contribute across different areas of dairy applications.

Working conditions

• The role is based on-site at the Dairy Local Application Centre in Midrand, South Africa.
• Travel of up to 30% is required, including travel within South Africa and potentially to wider sub-Saharan Africa, the MEIA region, and Europe.
• Overtime or extended working hours may be required from time to time.

Relevant information

Application deadline: 6th Nov 2026

Our purpose guides the way

In Novonesis, we know that solutions rooted in biology can help solve humanity’s biggest challenges. Since we began more than a century ago, this has been our guide. It’s how we've gotten so far. And it’s how we'll impact the future. Now, more than ever, the world needs change. And with biosolutions, the possibilities for transformation are endless. If our purpose resonates with you, we encourage you to apply.

Opportunities for everyone

We are committed to an inclusive recruitment process and equal opportunity for all applicants. Therefore we ask you to apply without a cover letter or photo and instead include a few sentences in your CV explaining your motivation for applying.

We make all employment decisions based on business needs and welcome candidates with a wide range of backgrounds, including ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, or veteran status.

Explore other openings

If this position isn’t the right fit, you may still find other opportunities with us. You’re welcome to explore open roles or create a job agent to stay connected with future opportunities at novonesis.com/Career