Sustainability Data Systems Technologist

Fastnet seeks to lead the market by tracking carbon across its fish supply chain, measuring carbon footprint from catch to consumption. This value will be displayed on labels/menus, empowering consumers to make sustainable and informed choices about what they eat. This innovative KTP will make Fastnet the supplier of choice in the competitive food service market.

The National Centre for Food Manufacturing – Grimsby (NCFM-GY) is a part of the University of Lincoln, with sites at Holbeach and Grimsby. NCFM is a major resource for the UK’s food industry with over 250 major companies accessing courses, technical services and research.

Clients include the major national and global food manufacturing businesses and leading supermarkets and we collaborate with many international partners and universities. Fastnet and the University of Lincoln have been successful in winning a government grant through the Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) scheme administered and managed by Innovate UK to develop and embed sustainability data systems to support Fastnet’s business growth objectives. This has created an exciting and innovative partnership opportunity between Fastnet and the National Centre for Food Manufacturing in the College of Science at the University of Lincoln.

We are looking to recruit a data / computer science, business, or sustainability systems graduate or equivalent with knowledge of and/or interest in the food and drink industry and experience of performing scientific and technological investigation in a University and food industry environment directed towards acquisition of new knowledge. The successful candidate will ideally have academic and/or industry knowledge in data science, digital business support software systems, LCA, sustainability and/or related subjects.

The KTP Associate will be an employee of the University, based mainly at the Fastnet Fish Grimsby site of Fastnet and will be subject to Fastnet employment practices and conditions of work. The Fastnet site is approximately 3 miles from the NCFM-Grimsby premises on the Europarc in Grimsby. The Associate for the Knowledge Transfer Partnership (supported by mentors in NCFM and Fastnet) will drive and lead a 24-month project which aims to develop and implement an innovative science-based approach to collecting, processing and presenting detailed specific and accurate carbon data along the Fastnet supply chains to allocate embedded carbon to individual products or batches.

This will be achieved through fully evaluating and understanding the existing processes at Fastnet and their suppliers and the context within the processes;

• Identifying methods for ongoing carbon data collection, assimilating this into a digital carbon dashboard to present data to support marketing, sales, internal process decisions and optimisation
• Identification and evaluation of potential solutions
• Testing, developing and optimising the selected system for process and system efficiency
• Disseminating and reporting

Primarily to support knowledge transfer and development in Fastnet to implement new sustainability data systems and processes for business benefit.

More specifically the challenges will include:

• The extent and complexity of the Fastnet supply chain
• Embedding carbon monitoring into existing workflows without disrupting operations,
• Identifying and integrating carbon metrics into procurement, logistics, and inventory management
• Ensuring that carbon metrics can support data-driven decision-making while enhancing supply chain efficiency.
• Obtaining data from suppliers to feed tracking systemsImplementing systems within existing resource limitations
• Balancing operational costs to commercial benefit
• Energy efficiency metrics and gains.
• Building trust, securing engagement, and overcoming resistance to change, ensuring carbon tracking becomes embedded in daily decision-making.
• Accessing valuable existing institutional knowledge held in Fastnet’s teams.
• Aligning carbon integration milestones with production schedules is essential to minimise downtime and ensure seamless adoption.
• Close collaboration with business and academic supervisors will help manage risks, refine strategies, and drive long-term sustainability.
• Stakeholder management challenge and communication strategies for these.