Project Leader R&D (Principal Food Scientist, Pet)

Simmons Foods•Siloam Springs, AR

About The Position

The Project Leader R&D leads the identification, recommendation, and qualification of process and formulation development capabilities needed to meet project success criteria and deliver innovation. The role connects and integrates internal and external capabilities to develop solutions, build product platforms, optimize existing processes and formulations, and create new capabilities. As a product and process champion, the Project Leader works with customers and sales account managers to define project scope, fit customers to existing products, and develop line extensions or improvements. The role leads product and process development across the full development cycle, including conceptual development, formulation, testing, scale-up, implementation, process validation, commercialization, and ongoing improvement. It also supports equipment validation, nutritional and regulatory compliance, finished-product evaluation, supply-chain initiatives, troubleshooting, and project portfolio management, as applicable to the area of focus. The position works closely with customers, suppliers, technical staff, and internal teams, and may mentor scientists. Project Leaders may have Research Technicians and/or interns reporting directly to them. The role requires domestic travel to multiple facilities, worksites, or customer visits, often with overnight stays, and includes work in manufacturing, kitchen, and office environments. This is a salary-exempt position.

Requirements

At least 5 years of experience in product development and technical services is required, particularly in pet food; experience requirements are balanced by education level.
Experience in commercial product and/or process development is required.
A bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Animal Nutrition, Animal Science, Meat Science, Engineering, or a related field, depending on the assigned business unit; required experience is balanced by education level.
Excellent computer skills, including Microsoft Office Suite; intermediate to advanced Excel and PowerPoint skills and experience preparing documents for presentation.
Strong data-entry skills.
Leadership qualities and flexibility with respect to job requirements.
Working knowledge of specific requirements in the United States is essential for successful job performance.
Ability to travel domestically to multiple facilities, worksites, or customer visits, approximately 25%, often requiring overnight stays.
Ability to work in manufacturing, kitchen, office, and surrounding-property environments and in various temperatures.
Ability to lift objects weighing up to 50 pounds as needed.
Ability to use laboratory, kitchen, and cooking equipment.
Ability to enter and locate information on a computer, visually verify information often in small print, communicate by telephone, in person, and electronically, and present information to groups.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of animal nutrition, food formulation, and thermal processing.
R&D knowledge or experience in food or pet food.
Commercial product development experience in the food and pet food industry.
Knowledge of food science, animal nutrition, and food formulation.
Working knowledge of current food and pet-food regulations in various countries.
Working knowledge of process mapping.
Experience with Concept 5 and/or AutoCAD.
Familiarity with business integration software suites such as JDE and IQS; the position expects the successful candidate to learn these quickly.

Responsibilities

Fit new customers to existing products or develop line extensions and process or product improvements for existing customers.
Meet with customers, independently and with sales account managers, to define the scope of new projects.
Assist with target brand evaluation and monitoring efforts.
Use pilot-scale equipment for high-risk projects to minimize company liability; coordinate tests with customer or supplier technical representatives based on equipment availability.
Attend technical meetings to maintain scientific competence and identify new process and product opportunities.
Develop, bench-test, scale up, validate, implement, commercialize, and continuously improve products and processes in line with project briefs, costs, and timelines.
Own product, process, and project parameters to ensure optimization; schedule and support plant tests during commissioning and develop contingency plans as needed.
Review process characteristics and product formulations across products and plants to identify simplification and cost-saving opportunities, and recommend improvements to supervisors and senior operations management as applicable.
Review patents to help ensure there is no infringement.
For process-focused work, participate in equipment calibration and supplier screening; recommend equipment options and conduct IQ, OQ, and long-term PQ verification studies.
Participate in online equipment validation and conduct pilot-plant tests internally or at supplier facilities to verify new process or formulation capabilities.
For product-focused work, support nutritional adequacy, labeling and nutrition claims; develop label decks from master formulas; submit products for analytical or animal testing as required and summarize results.
Participate in project teams evaluating product non-conformance and collect and analyze information on raw-material and process interactions.
Lead supply-chain initiatives, including formula transfers among plants, raw-material supplier evaluations, changes in use of existing raw materials, and evaluation of processing parameters.
Support process and product evaluation testing, develop knowledge of critical process points with process engineering, and summarize test and processing data to support troubleshooting and interpretation.
Manage the project portfolio in accordance with the supervisor’s direction; issue project updates, alert the supervisor to risks affecting results, and provide final reports as requested.
Participate in team development, communication, and implementation of concepts, programs, policies, and best practices; attend team meetings and help resolve issues affecting team cohesion.
Maintain familiarity with company operating systems and policies, communicate concerns and improvement ideas, and support quality and continuous improvement.
Perform other duties as necessary in support of business objectives.