Senior Food Scientist

Title: Senior Food Scientist

Location: Chicago, IL

Direct Hire

Pay Range: 110-125k depending on experience

Bonus: 10% annual bonus

Primary Purpose

The position of Senior Food Scientist assumes primary responsibility for undertaking and executing product development projects of major importance, complexity, or scope pertaining to all business areas.

Major Responsibilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.

• Leads product development initiatives for various confectionary products across Innovation, Renovation, Brand Maintenance, and Quality.
• Leads and executes work on several technical platforms including but not limited to depositing, panning, tableting, taffy, and extrusion.
• Partners with cross functional team such as Marketing, Supply Chain, Quality, Regulatory, Engineering and Manufacturing in project execution, scale-up, technology transfer, and problem solving.
• Lead innovation projects from early concept development through scale up and commercialization.
• Demonstrate proactive ideation and prototype development to contribute to the Innovation Pipeline.
• Observes, records, and evaluates experimental data.
• Prepares project reports.
• Works with other technical and professional personnel within R&D to progress projects.
• Interacts with Quality and Regulatory Compliance and plant QA on quality issues.
• Provides leadership and instruction to support junior product developers on the team.
• Interacts with vendors, suppliers, and contract manufacturers
• Travels, both domestically and internationally (Travel often in Chicago area to pilot plants, but there could be some additional international travel based on project needs
• Ensures adherence to all company policies and procedures.
• Understands and demonstrates the Company’s core values.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Competencies/Skills/Knowledge Required

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

• Fundamental knowledge of at least one branch of the sciences.
• Ability to apply scientific knowledge to technology (including mogul depositing technology).
• Comfortable operating laboratory, pilot plant, and plant equipment
• Problem Solving
• Original Thinking
• Drive for Results (Can be counted on to exceed goals successfully)
• Deals with Ambiguity (Can effectively and comfortably cope with change and shifting of gears)
• Attention to Detail
• Works well with others and individually
• Time management (Uses his/her time effectively and efficiently)

Education and Experience

• BS, Master’s, or Ph.D. in Food Science, or related field, required.
• 5-10 years’ experience in food industry or related field.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills (bilingual if possible: Spanish preferred)