Food Innovation Technician
About The Position
As the category leader in Meat Snacks, Link Snacks feeds its consumer’s wild side by pushing the boundaries of innovation and speed to bring real meat protein snacks to all occasions and customers. In this dynamic environment, this role supports the development, implementation, and execution of new product innovations, as well as enhancements in product quality, process efficiency, and food safety. As our Food Innovation Technician, you will drive the operations of the Innovation Center by working closely with Food Scientists, Engineers, and Packaging members in the shared kitchen, labs, and Innovation Center in downtown Minneapolis.
Requirements
- Bachelor of Science degree in Meat Science, Food Science, Animal Science or related field.
- 1+ years of experience
- Demonstrated effective skills at problem solving, planning, and directing team members.
- Proven understanding of manufacturing operations in the food industry including R&D and FSQ work.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Lab or production environment experience.
- Food/Meat processing industry knowledge and experience.
- Comfortable in a fast-paced changing environment.
Responsibilities
- Partner with our R&D team to expand meat snack opportunities by developing innovative consumer prototypes
- Independently develop and add to organizational technical knowledge by executing IC idea generator runs
- Set-up and safely operate Innovation Center equipment with the ability to train and direct others
- Conduct required analytical testing to measure key product attributes (moisture, aW, color, and pH checks)
- Responsible for post-run equipment tear down, clean-up, and preventative maintenance
- Organize ingredients, equipment, and tools for processing and cleaning
- Identify, evaluate, and assess new equipment and techniques with a focus on innovation and safety
- Enable continuous improvement mindset in IC by identifying and implementing standardized processes
- Knowledgeable of USDA regulations and documentation to support USDA inspected runs
- Participate in technical product reviews to understand how product-centric attributes unlock new opportunities
- Calibrate analytical equipment as needed
- Test products and packaging with analytical equipment
- Lead the gathering of test run data measurements to capture and describe sources of variation
- Lead the creation of lab reports and proper R&D documentation
- Test run data measurements and recording
- Adhere to Jack Link’s & government mandated food safety and sanitation policies (ex. USDA, HACCP, GMP, OSHA)
- Ensure compliance with all safety policies, practices and procedures
- Manage adherence to prescribed procedures to ensure first pass quality meets or exceeds planned goals
- Ensure close partnership with FSQ including communicating and resolving all quality and production issues with appropriate team members
- Performs other duties as assigned
Benefits
- medical, dental and vision benefits
- life and disability insurance
- 401k participation
- paid holidays
- paid time off
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
