AmeriQual Foods - Food Scientist

This position performs various tasks related to day-to-day production support, renovation and continuous improvement support of existing items to ensure product is made to customer specification.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Process Development – work with product development to scale up production trials, and providing support for commercialization of initial production start-up.
• Provide support to Thermal Processing Technicians and Retort Operators.
• Perform and supervise thermal process record review assuring adherence to established critical factors for the thermal process of each product.
• Lead and drive redesign & renovation of existing products and manufacturing process to increase quality, reduce costs & or increase production efficiencies.
• Work with engineering and operations to identify new equipment and manufacturing steps to increase quality, reduce costs & increase production efficiencies.
• Maintain formulation files by auditing production, reviewing batch procedures, and update as needed.
• Support production with troubleshooting out of spec product or concerns on established products.
• Work with the SPC program manager and Quality Systems to set change process control requirements for existing products and provide data or data analysis upon internal and customer request.
• Complete other required tasks as necessary.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Biology, Chemistry or other related field is required
• Preferred 2 years of experience in food product development & previous experience in food manufacturing
• Strong communications (written and verbal) and interpersonal skills
• Strong computer skills
• Ability to work independently while maintaining close communication and collaborative work relationships with all levels of the organization and with external customers
• Strong organizational and time management skills with ability to prioritize and anticipate changing project needs
• Must be willing to taste food products, including animal products and products containing nuts or other allergens

Physical Requirements

While performing the duties of this job, employees are regularly required to sit, walk and stand; talk or hear, both in person and by telephone; use hands repetitively to operate standard office equipment; reach with hands and arms; and lift up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision and the ability to adjust focus. Position will also frequent the production floor, so operating in standard seasonal warehouse and food processing plant temperature conditions will be required. Work is completed in a facility where nuts, fruits and other allergens are present.