Food Scientist: Production, Product Development & Regulatory

Seattle Food Tech•Burien, WA

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

Rebellyous Foods is seeking a qualified Food Scientist to be the point person for production quality & food safety, product development, and regulatory/certification management. The ideal candidate will be energetic, flexible, detail-oriented and amenable to working in a fast-paced, constantly changing, technically-challenging start-up environment. This position is an extraordinary opportunity to join the growth stage of a fast growing, mission-focused start-up working to change the meat processing industry to address climate change and democratize access to climate-friendly foods for everyone. This position reports to the CEO as part of the Operations team.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree in Food Science or similar field of study related to food production. Training or education in food science, engineering, microbiology, or similar fields is required.
1-2 years experience in either food production, product development, and/or food safety.
Willingness to travel approximately 1 week per month (sometimes more or less) and work occasional weekends and after-hours shifts when necessary.
Ability to follow Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) including washing and sanitizing hands and gloves, wearing of proper equipment, and practicing good hygiene.
Ability to obtain a Washington State Food Workers Card.
Detailed record keeping abilities and thoughtfulness regarding project iteration.
Flexibility is a must, as day-to-day operations may pivot due to production or testing needs.
Attention to detail, commitment to excellence, and adherence to food safety.
Comfortable handling and preparing food with a willingness to learn and follow all procedures and protocols.
Ability to work in an ever-evolving environment with constant changes to processes and equipment.
Able to lift, bend, squat, and carry up to 40 pounds.
A passion to make the plant-based meat industry succeed.
Ability to work with your hands extensively and stand on your feet for 8 hours or more.
Ability to complete physical labor such as cooking, packaging and cleaning.

Responsibilities

Work with contract manufacturers (including travel to plant locations) to monitor production quality, food safety and specification within the facility.
Create training materials and administer training for co-manufacturer personnel to ensure quality of products.
Develop and monitor quality assurance metrics throughout the manufacturing process to ensure saleability and consistent quality of finished goods.
Review and prepare documentation and reporting for each production run using the ERP system. Maintain clear & accurate records.
Address urgent production matters as they arise.
Work with the Rebellyous team to create new products and produce prototypes in the Rebellyous test kitchen.
Complete twice weekly sensory tastings of our products to ensure quality and to test new recipe performance.
Plan, record and disseminate information for new product development and commercialization, including project management, marketing material, timelines, vendor sample requests, and production runs of new and modified recipe products.
Work closely with ingredient vendors to order test ingredients, and maintain the test kitchen per Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs).
Support new product commercialization, working closely with the team.
Manage and execute special projects as assigned in support of production or R&D efforts. Maintain clear & accurate records.
Establish and maintain quality and food safety programs and specialty or third-party certifications for our partner facilities and our products.
Maintain a database of ingredients and product information including updated certifications and handle requests for information from the team.
Maintain packaging regulatory compliance and work with vendors for packaging updates.
Complete requirements for ad hoc company regulatory requirements or requests.
Monitor quality and food safety compliance for all products.
Support company safety initiatives.