Senior Flavorist

Summary of Position

The Senior Flavorist is involved in the execution from concept to commercialization of assigned new product development, quality improvement, or cost optimization in food and beverage flavors. The Senior Flavorist is responsible for building technical credibility with internal and external customers with project interaction and successful flavor solutions, assisting in prototype formulations, flavor application interactions and flavor creation. This individual ensures timely and accurate support to the Business Development needs along with providing necessary detailed information to allow for meeting the customer’s needs. The Senior Flavorist interacts with Customers, Flavor Applications, Marketing, Business Developers, Taste Modulation, Regulatory, Flavor Operations, Quality, Sensory, and Manufacturing to achieve Imbibe’s business goals.

Essential Job Duties

• Utilize their strong technical expertise and problem-solving skills to, successfully, manage complex projects and multiple priorities and timelines.
• Provides technical leadership and collaborative support to departments within the company, including Product Development, Sales, Marketing, Customer Service, and Operations.
• Successfully interacts directly with key customers to identify opportunities to expand our core technologies.
• Supports the Sales team and Sales activities by providing technical support during customer visits and other events such as expos, food shows, product demonstrations, technical presentations, on site or remotely.
• Works independently and in collaboration with other departments involved to quickly develop, modify, and duplicate flavors.
• Develop, introduce, and implement novel technologies, processes, or raw materials.
• Independently develops new flavors for internal proactive projects to support department initiatives.
• Work collaboratively with all internal stakeholders to troubleshoot formula, ingredient, or process issues in a timely manner.
• Support Flavorists Training program and mentor flavorists to continuously promote R&D technical expertise and project management skills.
• Stay current with new flavor development and new flavor processing techniques.
• Essential duties include creating/matching flavors, and proven track record of building technical credibility with internal and external customers with project interaction and developing successful flavor solutions for food and beverage systems
• Proactive review of raw material gaps with relevance to gaps in flavor library
• Participate in internally generated, capability enhancing, proactive and innovative development as directed by senior management, and business development.
• Creation of liquid flavors, emulsions, spray dried flavors, extracts and taste modulators
• Responsible for managing all aspects of executing on a flavor development brief including - acting in a project leadership capacity, provide guidance to management regarding the required level of technical effort to complete a project, keep relevant parties informed of project status.
• Interface with customers leading technical discussions when the need arises to ensure successful project completion.
• Identifies areas of flavor concern and communicates with the project team.
• Participate in on-site working sessions with customers.
• Develop brand new flavor formulations to enable continued expansion of Imbibe’s flavor library, collaborate with Marketing on initiatives.
• Provide guidance and actively participate in development of raw material replacers.
• Identify areas to improve, optimize current flavor offerings to be competitive.
• Anticipate and troubleshoot flavor formulation issues with respect to stability and scale-up.
• Develop and apply appropriate testing methods to access the stability of flavor materials and compositions through processing and application.
• Supports the development and commercial delivery of new/novel technologies.
• Provide mentorship to a candidate from initial stage thru certification and technical guidance to Flavorist Trainee and Junior Flavorists
• Enters appropriate data in formula management system to ensure standard testing can be done.
• Maintain flavor formulas in formula management system to ensure accuracy.
• Ensure proper commercialization of flavors from bench top to manufacturing.
• Attend the first production of flavors or delegate as needed.
• Supports the Sales team and Sales activities by providing technical support on site, at shows, product demonstrations, events, customer visits, technical presentations, expos.
• Applies knowledge and skill sets in the areas of flavor development, sensory evaluation, marketing support, research studies and technical support to cross functional teams.
• Continuously increase knowledge of new ingredients and technologies, flavor chemistry, and global regulatory requirements through interaction with other flavorists, Regulatory, literature searches, participation in professional organizations and attendance at seminars and trade shows
• Identify and recommend new and novel raw materials as required to meet current and future customer and business needs.
• Facilitate collaboration with business colleagues to build constructive, proactive working relationships across the organization.
• Provide recommendations for continuous improvement of products and processes across the organization, from laboratory through commercial scale and all stages in between.
• Able to work effectively independently and with cross functional teams, interfacing with diverse groups such as Supply Chain, Regulatory, Sales and Business Development
• Travel as needed to support key customers.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree, in a science discipline preferred, with at least 15 years of proven and winning Flavor Creation experience.
• Must be a certified member of the Society of Flavor Chemists
• Broad exposure of flavor development including and not limited to beverage systems.
• Proven track record of developing effective, selling flavors
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Must be well-organized and exercise sound judgment in decision-making.
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel, Word, Office, and PowerPoint
• Must understand material and equipment hazards and perform duties in a safe manner utilizing appropriate personal protective equipment.
• Ability to trouble shoot flavor selections with high Regulatory requirements and complex parameters.
• Ability to adapt to the changing needs of the lab.
• Handle multitasking and meet short deadlines.
• This position requires the handling of food grade chemicals and ingredients for food and beverage with strong odors.
• This position requires the use of personal protective equipment and clothing, including but not limited to lab coats, safety glasses, gloves, face masks, respirators, ear protection, etc.
• Must be able to sit, stand, or remain in a stationary position for extended periods of time.
• May occasionally need to move, lift, or transport containers of ingredients weighing up to 50 lbs.
• Exposure to food and beverage product tastings which may include allergens.
• This role includes management of direct reports (typically 1-5) of entry to senior level roles.

Preferred Qualifications

• Proven track record in flavor sales and leadership either externally or at their career at Imbibe.

Working Conditions

• Typical office setting for most desk work and paperwork including use of standard office equipment.
• Typical food/beverage laboratory and pilot plant setting for all hands-on development work including the use of standard laboratory equipment.

Pay range: $120,000 - $150,000

The salary range listed represents the expected earnings for this role. The low end of the range reflects the starting salary for candidates with less experience or qualifications that meet the basic requirements for the position. The high end of the range reflects potential earnings for candidates with extensive experience, specialized skills, or qualifications above the standard requirements for the role

Benefits

• 401k company contribution match
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision care
• FSA and HSA account
• Generous PTO sick time
• Onsite gym
• Parental leave

Salary : $120,000 - $150,000