Food Scientist II

Do you want to take responsibility and make a difference with your work? With your expertise, we can achieve great goals together. We are WACKER - Reliable. Determined. Ambitious. As one of the world's most research-intensive chemical companies, we've been making countless products that are an integral part of your everyday life possible for over 100 years. From vegan food to resource-efficient buildings to solar cells, we develop sustainable solutions that change the future.

To strengthen our team in Ann Arbor,

we are looking for you as a(n) Food Scientist II.

This Food Scientist II position is based in North American Head office and Innovation Center, and will require understanding of basic food chemistry, food processing, and basic sensory evaluation techniques. Experience working in commercial food production facility, product development laboratory, or ingredient application laboratory setting required. The Scientist will ensure business development for core products (CAVAMAX, Cavacurmin, CavaQ10, HTEssence etc.) and technologies (complexation, encapsulation, emulsification, whipping etc.) by learning, exploring, and researching the basic functionality of the core products and developing various applications in food and dietary supplement space.

Wacker is a safety-first organization, and this position will also be critical in maintaining a safe work environment.

Essential Functions Of This Position

Product and Application Development:

• Develop prototype products utilizing Wacker technologies across various applications (e.g. egg replacement in baked goods, flavor masking and complexation in gummy supplements, emulsification in salad dressings, etc.) and markets (Food, Flavor & Nutra)
• Conduct further research on food product prototypes utilizing both quantitative analysis techniques and sensory analysis.
• Conduct research to develop/explore functionality of Wacker-Bioingredients products and its technology.
• Document work per Wacker protocols and present update at R&D meeting.
• Identify new opportunities for existing and new products and applications in food and dietary supplement space.
• Analyze new products utilizing common laboratory techniques
  
  

Supply Chain Support

• Work alongside supply chain and plant quality to support internal production runs.
• Support production to resolve any technical issues.
• Provide additional support to plant quality when needed.
• Support startup runs at co-manufacturers.
  
  

Sales And Business Development Support

• Develop proof of concept products for sales and marketing.
• Support sales managers by product sampling and formulation development.
• Participate in training sales managers, customers, and distributors about Wacker's applications and technologies.
• Aid marketing and product teams by developing technical presentations for Wacker products.
• Serve as a technical resource at trade shows, on customer calls, and at customer visits.
• Participate in customer calls and customer visits as appropriate.
  
  

Continuous Improvement

• Improve knowledge of food ingredients and food science through professional courses, self-study, webinars, etc.
• Attend course(s) and meetings as appropriate
  
  

Laboratory Upkeep

• Maintain organized and functional laboratory by ordering raw materials, maintaining up-to-date documentation, calibrating equipment, and participating in internal audits
  
  

Position Qualifications

• Minimum Bachelors of Science degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Nutrition, Biochemistry, or related subjects or PhD in related field
• Minimum 0-4 year experience working with an ingredients company, CPG company or R&D center.
• Food product development experience required
• Experience working with or strong desire to learn Spray drying, encapsulation, and complexation is plus
• Basic understanding of analytical techniques and instrumentation
• Travel up to 10% annually
• Practical laboratory skills and strong safety orientation, managing lab routines including equipment maintenance
• Strong organizational skills and detail oriented
• Strong interpersonal, verbal and written communications and presentation skills, can effectively communicates with internal technical colleagues, including R&D, Business Teams and Production. Must be able to work well in the group and be a strong team player.
• Basic proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, and Power Point)
• Self-motivated, results driven, creative and a team player.
• Able to work under pressure and have strong sense of urgency
• Ability to prioritize and multi-task
• Demonstrated basic project planning skills
• Experience troubleshooting experiments and interpreting data collected
• A passion for chemistry, science, problem solving, and creativity; A breath of technical knowledge and a keen interest in learning from others.
• Customer oriented and ability to interface with customers as needed.
  
  

What do we offer?

WACKER is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and sustainability. We are innovators, researchers, and pioneers and we believe that our individual differences are our collective strength. We foster an inclusive environment that promotes individuality, celebrates diversity, and builds cohesive teams. Together, we create exceptional value for our employees, our customers, and our communities by creating a culture of inclusion and equity that enables, empowers, and values our diverse contributions.

WACKER strives to reward its employees in a fair and equitable manner. Our Total Rewards Package considers employee wellbeing and is comprised of compensation, benefits, work-life balance, performance & recognition, and career development.

• Compensation and Incentive plans
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance effective day 1
• Paid Time Off in addition to personal days and holidays
• Paid parental leave
• Wellbeing fund
• Flexible hybrid work arrangements
• 401(k) with company match
• Education Assistance Program
• Career development and advancement opportunities
• Support for Community Involvement
  
  

We are looking forward to your online application at www.wacker.com.

Reference Code: 28481

The information contained herein is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of the duties and responsibilities of the job, nor are they intended to be an all-inclusive list of the skills and abilities required to do the job.

A minimum requirement for this US-based position is the ability to work legally in the United States on a permanent unrestricted basis. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position, including for any type of US permanent residency (e.g., for a green card).

WACKER is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class.