Food Scientist

Food Scientist / R&D

POSITION SPECIFICS

Reports To: VP of Operations / Plant Manager

FLSA Status: Exempt

ROLE

Position Summary:

The Food Technologist manages all R&D projects and processes from innovation, development, and commercialization through continuous improvement, cost containment and efficiencies. Develops and communicates product quality and performance measurement systems, communicating technical, statistical basis and recommendations for decisions. Contributes and drives a positive team work atmosphere by acting and communicating in a manner that works effectively with customers, clients, coworkers, and leadership teams. The Sr. Food Scientist drives process improvement and problem solving throughout the organization utilizing continuous improvement, collaboration, rational thinking and prioritization skills and methods. This position will be at our Shannon, MS facility.

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

1. Accountable for all R&D activities of projects from competitive analysis, ideation, development, regulatory, commercialization through continuous improvements and optimizations/cost reductions.
2. Ensures all processes and techniques conform to SQF, FSMA requirements with proper process and documentation
3. Drives awareness of product and market trends across current and future customer’s demographics; communicates trends, ideas and potential development ideas that result in potential prototypes or protocepts for customer presentations or category expansions.
4. Works cross-functionally with Marketing, Sales, Operations, Procurement, Quality, Finance, Co-mans, vendors and consultants to ensure successful execution of company’s strategy and implementation of R&D/QA projects and tactics.
5. Research communicates and drives implementation of improved ingredients, packaging and or food manufacturing technologies in a collaborative approach that supports Operations, Procurement, Marketing, Quality, Sales and Customer Objectives.
6. Develop Ingredient statements for packaging
7. Ensure financial targets, including margins, customer and product parameters when developing products.
8. Provide continuous reporting of key performance indicators and trends of projects, culinary trends, and food technology opportunities to improve company and customer’s product portfolio, quality, and food safety through R&D.
9. Manages and executes prototype development, product formulations, operational processes, raw material specifications and technical SOP’s for plant trials. Develop bench-top prototypes and supervise the execution of plant trials/product scale-up research leading to the development of new products and line extensions.
10. Maintains documentation and drives systems improvements of the R&D department including, but not limited to:
    • Product Formulas
    • Product Specifications
    • Operations SOPs
    • Raw Material Specifications
    • R&D SOP’s
    • Organoleptic Attribute Assessments
    • Supplier (new) documentation (SQEF and pricing)
    • Customer submissions
    • P&L formulations and approvals (Innovation, Commercialization processes)
    • Project updates and timelines

9. Supervises direct report(s) of coordinators, and including but not limited to lab techs, temporary employees, consultants and interns.

10. Ensures a food safe and SQF compliant lab by maintaining/calibrating all equipment, ingredients and maintaining a safe work environment by training all participants.

11. Deal directly with customers to resolve R&D related issues

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• B.S. in Food Science or related field such as food processing, food chemistry, food engineering or applicable science, CFS certification, MS is desired
• Experience in formulation and processing with experience in developing and commercialization of meats, sauces, baked breads, assembled sandwiches, refrigerated and microwavable product development
• Regulatory experience in FDA, USDA labeling and nutritional regulations
• Must have strong business, mathematical, technical and business reasoning skills and working knowledge in computations, pricing and costs
• High initiative, strong organizational skills, must be self-directing and able to work cross-functionally with various groups and achieve high results
• Strong project management and organizational skills, flexible, ability to work on multiple projects with varying priorities and timelines
• Highly innovative and creative yet results oriented
• Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships and cross-functional teams
• Knowledge in Microsoft Word, Excel, MS project and database management such as Access; able to apply nutritional information into labeling and database formats and software such as Genesis
• Able to maintain confidential and proprietary information
• Excellent communication skills including verbal, written, interpersonal skills, project management report writing, presentation, and public speaking.
• Must have strong technical, culinary, analytical and problem-solving skills. Must drive statistically based decision making.
• Prior development experience for 5 – 7+years is highly desirable.

Requirements:

Experience in refrigerated and microwaveable product development including meats, sauces, and baked breads.

Knowledge of GMP, HACCP, SQF, NLEA, SSOP, FSMA; HACCP and PCQI certifications are highly desirable.