Masters of the unusual job title (Day 91)

ChocolateThere was a great fun story in the media recently when Cambridge University announced they were looking for a ‘Doctor of Chocolate’.

Based in Cambridge University’s Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, the ‘project will investigate the factors which allow chocolate, which has a melting point close to that of the human body, to remain solid and retain qualities sought by consumers when it is stored and sold in warm climates.’

Despite the polite ‘leg-pulling’ in the media, the publicity is valuable for the chemical engineering profession. In one simple story the profession has associated itself as the architects behind one of the world’s most favourite treats.

However, they may not be the first to employ ‘Doctors of Chocolate’. Via twitter, the University of Birmingham reminded IChemE that they have been tinkering with product formulations, including chocolate, at PhD level for several years.

Seeing ‘Doctor of Chocolate’ in the media reminded me that the ‘food’ process industries may lay claim to having some of the most unusual and funny job titles of any business sector. Many of these are derived from the ‘process’ of food production and manufacture.

For a bit of fun, I’ve listed 20 real, historical, current (and probably mythical job titles) below for the food and other process industries.

  1. Human Taste Taster: the brave people who make sure dog food tastes just right
  2. Head Worm Wranglers: a name given to some industrial compost makers
  3. Cheese or Butter Sprayers: these folks keep your popcorn tasting nice
  4. Honeycomb De-cappers: they hack the caps off commercial honeycombs to extract the honey from inside
  5. Pickle Plumper: these folks inject meat with curing solutions
  6. Corn poppers: turn those corn kernals into popcorn
  7. Hogshead Strippers: Hogsheads are large barrels stuffed with tobacco – strippers are/were the people that opened them
  8. Powder Monkeys: People who store and keep explosives safe
  9. Chick Sexer: no explanation needed, but bad news for the chick if you don’t lay eggs
  10. Peeled Potato Inspector: As they whizz by on a conveyor belt
  11. Master Roasters: often found sniffing coffee beans!
  12. Pig Scalders or De-hairers: responsible for removing bristles in abattoirs
  13. Oyster Floaters: keep your shellfish free of impurities by floating them in water
  14. Sandwich Technicians: you may find some of these in famous high-street sandwich shops
  15. Pork Rind Consultants: the people behind those tasty pig skin snacks
  16. Paper Towel Sniffers: apparently their skills are used before, and after use
  17. Bread Scientists: every good bakery should have one
  18. Odour Testers: because smell is more important than taste
  19. Butter Liquifier: they melt and pasteurise you butter
  20. Enrobing Machine Feeder: they organise the centres for sweets and candies

If you would like to apply for Cambridge University’s ‘Doctor of Chocolate‘, the closing date for applications is 12:00 British Summer Time on 29 August 2014, and the desired start date is January 2015. Good luck.


Do you have an unusual job title, or work with someone who does in the chemical and process industries? Tell us who you are and what you do.

One thought on “Masters of the unusual job title (Day 91)”

  1. I liked the “Doctor of Chocolate” premotion. We need to do more to promote the importance of chemical engineering.

    As I frequently drive past the Ineos plant at Runcorn I have often wondered how many people relate that plant to everyday products. Do they realise that without plants such as this they would not have computers (HF is required to make integrated circuits) or pharmaceutical products (70% of pharmaceutical active ingredients contain a chlorine atom).

    We need to find engaging ways to get the general populous to realise just how important the chemical industry is.


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