Our client is seeking for a Research and Development Food Scientist to join their team.
In this role, you will oversee the creation and enhancement of products to achieve annual business objectives, applying both culinary and scientific techniques to ensure they meet consumer preferences. You’ll lead multiple development projects, utilizing thorough research, experimental design, and data-driven decision-making. Collaboration with various departments, such as Manufacturing, Engineering, and Quality, is crucial to improving products, solving problems, and optimizing processes and quality. You will be responsible for developing new food products, initiating concepts, and enhancing existing processes using innovative tools and technologies to improve product consistency and functionality. Building professional relationships with customers and suppliers, participating in ideation sessions, and providing detailed technical support and documentation are key aspects of the role. Additionally, you will offer technical leadership in ingredient technology, manage project timelines, and effectively communicate findings through reports and presentations. Accurate record-keeping and support for university-based research collaborations are also required. Flexibility to travel as needed is expected.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES :
- Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work with cross functional teams, internally and externally (e.g. research institutes, representatives of processing and produce industries, suppliers, laboratories, etc.).
- Ability to work independently and as part of a technical team.
- Individual must have strong product development skills in ingredient functionality, material selection, and formulation.
- Candidate must expertly plan and conduct trials, data collection, and interpret results to drive program and technical knowledge forward, developing robust action plans, risk assessments, and contingency planning.
- Demonstrated problem-solving skills (pays attention to details and effort to understand causes instead of just the effects) and creativity for developing innovative solutions and applications.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills with strong emphasis on technical presentations and reports.
- Excellent communication to external partners including customers and vendor network.
- Ability to effectively manage multiple projects under short timelines to produce commercially viable solutions.
- Proven ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment.
- Strong project management skills, influential savvy, and perseverance.
- Consistently meet deadlines.
EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE :
- Bachelor’s degree required, advanced degree preferred, in Food Science, Dairy Science or an equivalent science program.
- Minimum 7 years experience in an industrial or applied research environment in the area of food science and technology, processing, or new product development.
- Demonstrated experience with the experimental design, execution and management of laboratory and Pilot Study trials and data collection.
- Experience with Food Service and QSR is preferred.
- Prior experience with customer interaction is required.
- Prior beverage development and application work is strongly desired.
