What are the responsibilities and job description for the Research and Development Technician position at Koch Foods, Inc.?
- Maintain complete product files to support government label compliance standards and technical advertising/promotional claims through the development and maintenance of label, nutrition, and regulatory files per standards.
- Act as subject matter expert to apply FDA/USDA regulations and its standards and principles of food science in close concert with the department manager and other appropriate resources.
- Provide regulatory perspective for new and legacy products, and help identify and resolve regulatory hurdles.
- Working independently, with external and internal experts, and with other Koch Foods' team members to prepare scientific support documentation for internal and external customers.
- Monitor preprinted packaging for accuracy.
- Enter and update specification information into database.
- Verify regulatory information against specifications and labeling on file.
- Facilitate shelf life and nutritional testing.
- Generate daily reports for production and packaging.
- Work on special projects as needed.
- Assist production with packaging issues when necessary.
- Recommend proper packaging materials (sizes and configurations) for existing and new product development.
- Collaborate with Procurement to standardize packaging where possible while simultaneously designing customized packaging for unique product lines.
- Communicate with packaging suppliers to develop appropriate packaging specifications and populate specification database with information.
- Facilitate discussions across the cross-functional team (both internal and external) to move from artwork initiation through to printing finalization.
- Responsible for recordkeeping of supplier documentation speaking to the appropriate compliance of all primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging materials with various food types and storage conditions.
- Visit supplier and/or customer facilities as needed.
- All other relevant duties as assigned.
- Associate's degree in Food, Biological, Chemical, Physical, or Packaging Sciences, Food Engineering, Industrial Manufacturing, or other closely related field preferred.
- 3 years food industry experience required.
- Experience working in regulatory, production, quality assurance/control, or lab preferred.
- Exposure to working with and current knowledge of USDA/FDA/FSMA regulations as they pertain to labeling, standards of identity, allergens, and food safety.
- Experience working with and current understanding of nutrition, labeling, and regulatory concepts gained through technical reading, industry interaction, and/or attendance at appropriate seminars and educational courses as continuing education and scientific curiosity.
- Ability to identify problems, collect data, establish facts, forecast, and draw conclusions both mathematically and analytically.
- Excellent verbal and written presentation skills to communicate with peers, managers, and executive leadership team.
- Bilingual language abilities are a plus.
- Intermediate proficiency with Microsoft Office products, including Word, Excel, and Outlook.
- General knowledge of food ingredients, interactions, and nutrition levels is preferred.
- Willingness and ability to travel up to 10% of the time for overnight travel.