R&D Lab Operator - Bakery & Confectionery
About The Position
Ferrero is seeking a highly skilled and hands-on Technical Laboratory Operator with a strong background in pastry and confectionery to support product innovation and development within Ferrero North America. This role blends culinary craftsmanship with scientific rigor, translating pastry expertise into lab-scale formulation, testing, and optimization of new and existing products. As part of the R&D function, this role contributes to the development of high-quality bakery and confectionery products by applying advanced pastry techniques alongside analytical and formulation skills. The position plays a key role in supporting multiple business units, including Cookies, Ice Cream Cones, Pie Crusts, Fannie May Premium Chocolate, Ferrero Mainstream Chocolate and Power Crunch, ensuring products meet Ferrero’s standards for quality, sensory excellence, and technical performance.
Requirements
- Professionally trained pastry chef (formal culinary or pastry certification strongly preferred), with practical experience in bakery and/or confectionery production
- Demonstrated experience translating culinary or pastry techniques into product development or structured formulations (R&D or pilot plant experience is a strong plus)
- Strong understanding of bakery and confectionery ingredients, functionality, and processing techniques
- Experience working in a regulated food environment, including documentation practices and adherence to food safety and GMP standards
- Proficiency in formulation calculations (e.g., scaling recipes, converting weights and percentages) and working knowledge of tools such as Microsoft Excel
- Ability to combine hands-on execution with analytical thinking to troubleshoot and optimize product performance
Responsibilities
- Execute lab-scale product development using advanced pastry and baking techniques, ensuring accuracy in scaling, formulation, and reproducibility
- Translate culinary concepts and pastry expertise into structured formulations, including converting between weights and percentages
- Prepare and refine prototypes for bakery and confectionery products, applying hands-on craftsmanship to achieve desired texture, flavor, and appearance
- Collaborate with R&D and cross-functional teams to develop, renovate, and improve products across quality, sensorial, and shelf-life dimensions
- Evaluate raw materials and semi-finished products, leveraging pastry knowledge to enhance product performance, structure, and cost efficiency
- Conduct analytical testing (e.g., texture, moisture, color) and interpret results to guide formulation decisions
- Prepare samples for tastings, sensory panels, and internal evaluations, ensuring high-quality presentation and consistency
- Perform competitive product benchmarking and support product reverse engineering activities
- Maintain laboratory operations including ingredient inventory, equipment upkeep, sanitation, and adherence to food safety standards and GMPs
- Document formulations, processes, and results accurately within a regulated R&D environment
Benefits
- health insurance
- retirement plans
- paid time off
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
Education Level
Associate degree
