Food Scientist II

Westrock Coffee Company•Concord, NC

7d•Onsite

About The Position

Working independently, the Food Scientist II is responsible for the development of new products across Coffee and Tea from concept to commercialization. Requires work with multi-disciplinary groups to innovate, optimize and customize food ingredients. Consults directly with sales and customers to meet expectations. This position reports to the Senior Product Development Technical Lead.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Food Engineering or related field or relevant industry experience.
Minimum of 3 years of Product Development experience; or equivalent combination of education and experience
Strong understanding of food science principles
Adept Sensory skills and knowledge of sensory evaluation techniques.
Experience and knowledge with nutritional data generation and regulatory requirements from USDA and FDA as well as State and local health and food safety code.
Knowledge of SQF quality systems and related requirements.
Combination of strong analytical skills and creative thinking.
Must have excellent PC computer skills and ability to manage data electronically.
Self-motivated, outgoing, self-starter
Must be hard working, reliable and accurate, and able to produce quality lab work at high work load.
Must be willing to travel when needed.

Responsibilities

Ideate and Develop new product prototypes and optimization to existing products.
Improve existing products by optimizing product attributes, efficiencies, etc.
Develop and maintain accurate records related to the products such as formulas, label development, production process, HACCP, product specification, nutritional data, shelf life, etc.
Participate on product development teams and cross-functional teams to be the Product Development advocate for internal initiatives, cost-optimization, and ops/qa support.
Execute sensory tests as-needed, using internal software and statistical analysis to make recommendations for customers or drive development initiatives.
Independently completes project requests as assigned on-time
Provide application samples and usage recommendations, as needed
Tracks project trends and optimizes processes for product development
Oversee scale-up from bench to production trials, documenting accordingly.
Develop processing parameters with current equipment for better efficiency and yields
Troubleshoot trials and provide recommendations for corrective action
Provide technical support to customers seeking product information and advice as it pertains to product application/usage levels
Travel independently with Salesperson on customer demonstrations; work with R&D on site.
Demonstrate knowledge of field protocols and procedures that support products and solutions to Westrock customers
Provide comprehensive reports on complex data analysis and summaries
Serve as Product Development lead on trade show planning teams
Provide technical assistance to sales in the trade show booth
Evaluate, approve, and analyze risk of new or existing ingredients
Evaluate new raw materials and conduct sensory analysis with a cross-functional group.
Evaluate technical specification documentation for compliance with S&D requirements
Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.