Sr. Food Scientist at Tandem Foods

Description
The Sr. Food Scientist will be technically sound, creative and will be responsible for formulation and processing support of new customer business across multiple plants within the Tandem Foods network. This role has a heavy emphasis on production support, and the Sr. Food Scientist must be comfortable and confident supporting a production environment. A successful candidate will lead by providing technical support both at the benchtop and plant level. This position will focus on owning new product pipeline projects and formulation initiatives with attention on building relationships with new customers and working collaboratively across all functions of the organization.

Key Responsibilities
Lead formulation development and processing support for new and existing customer projects across multiple manufacturing sites.
Expected to be the technical expert on R&D subject matter to support production through the commercialization process and beyond to provide ongoing support to plant operations
Troubleshoot challenges in formulation and process that are mindful of safety and costs while providing timely and effective solutions
Collaborate with cross-functional teams including Sales, Operations, and Food Safety and Quality to align technical solutions with business objectives
Work closely with customers to ensure product expectations are achieved and relationships are strengthened
Plan, execute, and summarize plant trials for internal and external customers
Preparation and execution of all related technical and business documentation
Maintain accurate documentation of formulations, test results, and project progress
Interact with ingredient suppliers to onboard new raw materials and trouble shoot formulation challenges
Creative thinker with the ability to translate into stable product formulation
Create new snack products utilizing Genesis as a formulation tool
Present new formulation concepts to our sales team for external customer presentations
Stay abreast of new ingredient developments as well as processing and equipment advances applying them to enhance project work
Participate in sensory evaluation to drive decisions that are best for our customers
Ability to taste and screen ingredients and finished products without dietary limitations

Key Competencies
Creative Thinking: Thinks outside the box, contributes ideas for new product concepts with the ability to bring them to life
Customer Focus: Understands and monitors the needs of internal and external customers
Adaptable / Flexible: Open to change in response to new information, different or unexpected circumstances
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Ability to work in a dynamic team environment
Self-Starter: Takes initiative in developing programs to conform with set standards, focusing on continual improvement
Problem-Solving: Prevents and solves issues from a technical prospective, understand and mitigates problems, recognizes cause and effect relationships between functions
Project and Time Management: Plans tasks and deliverables accurately, prioritizes tasks and adapts as needed and is responsive to requests and accountable for actions

Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in food science or another science-based field
5-8 Years' experience in a product development position preferably in a manufacturing environment
Strong understanding of food formulation, ingredient functionality, and processing technologies
Effective interpersonal and written communication skills with the ability to build relationships cross-functionally and externally
Strong working knowledge of the food industry
Excellent problem-solving, organizational and prioritization skills
Experience with formulating protein bars, baked products and / or confections
Proficient in MS Office suite including Excel and PowerPoint
Working knowledge of Genesis
Familiarity with regulatory requirements (FDA, etc.)
Willingness to travel to manufacturing sites and customer locations as needed

Work Environment
This role works in office, R&D lab, and manufacturing floor environments
Evening and weekend work may be required on an as needed basis
20-25% travel
85% production support
15% R&D benchtop work (formulation review /concept creation)
Responsible for keeping workspace clean and organized (wash lab utensils and maintain ingredient inventory)
Responsible for R&D shipments (UPS /FedEx) Required

Preferred

Job Industries

• Warehouse & Production