Senior Food Technologist

We are a global leader in food & beverage ingredients. Pioneers at heart, we operate at the forefront of consumer trends to provide food & beverage manufacturers with products and ingredients that will delight their consumers. Making a positive impact on people and planet is all part of the delight. With a deep-rooted presence in the countries where our ingredients are grown, we are closer to farmers, enabling better quality, and more reliable, traceable, and transparent supply. Supplying products and ingredients at scale is just the start. We add value through our unique, complementary portfolio of natural, delicious, and nutritious products. With our fresh thinking, we help our customers unleash the sensory and functional attributes of cocoa, coffee, dairy, nuts, and spices so they can create naturally good food & beverage products that meet consumer expectations. And whoever we’re with, whatever we’re doing, we always make it real.

Position Summary

Reporting to Innovation Sr. Director , Private Label Spices and Sauces , the Senior Food Technologist will manage innovation development projects and initiatives for Olam Food Ingredients (ofi). This position will work closely with innovation leadership to drive the global strategy and deliver value generating innovation solutions. They will interact with manufacturing plants of assigned product categories to provide technical expertise, leadership, and problem-solving capabilities. The position will work with customers to provide solutions to meet both internal and external customer needs. The Sr. Food Technologist will lead and perform required analysis of the food, ingredients, raw and finished goods, and will analyze data, interpret results, and write reports. The Sr. Food Technologist will also communicate the challenges and opportunities for their specific categories to innovation leadership, key stakeholders and to senior management on a regular basis. The ideal candidate for this position will have a strong background as a Food Technologist focusing in areas of spice blends and seasonings and thermally processed sauces, They should be comfortable leading key projects, as well as working independently to ensure deadlines are met. They should work well under multiple competing demands and be able to successfully manage workload.

Position Responsibilities

• Manage innovation projects, communicate, and coordinate with internal stakeholders as well as customers.
• Maintain a thorough understanding of the current food and ingredient trends across all channels of our business but specifically for private label, sauces, and spice blends.
• Expertise in the development of spice blends, seasoning, and/or thermally processed sauces.
• Provide information to internal stakeholders to drive the business strategy and deliver value generating innovative solutions.
• Prepare responses to customer inquiries with adequate scientific and technical evidence and provide solutions.
• Complete the verification of the implementation of standard operating procedures for the laboratory or kitchen facilities.
• Provide expertise in the development of new innovative products and solutions within focused categories both internally and externally with customers.
• Visit customers (as required) to resolve any technical challenges that may arise by using ofi ingredients.
• Responsible for maintaining accurate records of formulations, procedures, and processes in appropriate software systems and platforms.
• Support Operations, Quality, and Procurement in the processing and commercialization of new innovations.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Position Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Microbiology, Food Chemistry, or related field is required. Master’s degree is preferred.
• Eight (8) years of relevant work experience in product development and food analysisrelated to spices and spice blendsand related consumer products is required.
• Understanding of basic food processing and analytical techniques in chemical and microbiological analysis is required. Experience leading/managing teams is preferred.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Products is required.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, and excellent analytical and problem-solving skills are required.
• Ability to work with multiple cross functional teams and geographies as well as with internal and external customers. Proven ability to interact effectively with department, company or customer associates and experience in a team-oriented environment is required.
• Experience with SAP platform is preferred.
• Understanding of basic food processing and analytical techniques in chemical and microbiological analysis is required.
• Desire and ability to travel, up to 20% of the time, across North America is required.

Ofi Provides Employees With a Comprehensive Compensation Package, Including:

New Hire Base Salary Range in Chicago, IL is 101-126k

Bonus: Eligible for a performance-based bonus as provided by the plan terms and governing documents

Benefits: Employees (and their eligible dependents) covered through affordable access to healthcare, protection, and saving for the future.

Wellbeing: We offer events, resources, and learning opportunities that inspire a physical, social, emotional, and financial wellbeing lifestyle for our employees and their families.

Note: This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employee may perform other related duties as negotiated to meet the ongoing needs of the organization. ofi provides equality of opportunity for all persons with respect to hiring without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, age, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation. All employment will be decided based on qualifications, merit and business need. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us for support. At ofi, we celebrate our diversity. Olam Americas Inc. is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.