R&D Scientist I LC

Chobani • Norton Shores, MI

7d • $67,000 - $105,600

About The Position

Our Research and Development department is at the forefront of product development and innovation. It is easy to be dedicated when you’re a part of something much bigger than yourself. We’ve got an insatiable appetite for making a difference and making food a source for good! The ideal candidate will have an integral role in leading the product development of our next wave of product innovations, while also lending technical support to our growing base business. We are looking for a candidate with a strong food science foundation, and ability to demonstrate expertise in product innovation. This will help La Colombe advance its’ mission of making healthy and delicious coffee beverages. Daily duties include supporting the team with operating equipment, ordering and handling raw materials preparing new materials for internal and customer testing conducting experiments maintaining lab reports performing routine testing becoming eligible in the formulations they are working with and analyzing and reporting results the role has a responsibility for ensuring both food safety and quality of the food products. This role will also aid in shipping and receiving of finished goods for tasting and shelf-life testing.

Requirements

• Minimum B.S. Food Science or related science degree.
• 1-3 years of food industry experience required, dairy and/or non-dairy is preferred
• Ingredients basic knowledge (stabilizers & fortification), flavor development, and product stability knowledge
• Background in process and product development and commercialization of food processes is required.
• Dairy or Dairy Alternative processing would be a big bonus.
• Proven track record of leading product development projects including timeline development / management, testing / trials, operational launch and scale
• Familiarity with basic research tools and statistical analysis
• Comfortable with ambiguity and energized by the process of building something from the ground up
• Innate curiosity for understanding complex food systems from a physical and chemical perspective
• Maintain clean & safe manufacturing environment within all facilities
• Excellent written and verbal communication
• Must be a self-starter able to work in a fast-paced environment and handle multiple projects/tasks at any given time
• Willingness to travel (10-20%)

Responsibilities

• Execute research and development plans and strategies for product development in support of company objectives
• Design and execute experiments based on project objectives, excellent record keeping, data collection and analysis and preparing project summaries
• Plan and carry out development work in lab and pilot scale; design, develop, and run tests to qualify new products and to support changes to existing products
• Conduct analytical measurements like pH, viscosity, density, able to design and execute shelf-life studies, brix, total solids etc.
• Manage technical development projects focusing on product development, process, and product care to help La Colombe improve and launch more innovative food and beverage products
• Lead and document development projects all the way from conceptualization to commercialization – this includes budget and target within certain time constraints
• Communicate project requirements and recommendations as well as status to internal customers and external stakeholders
• Lead, assist, and work directly with plant processing and production personnel to ensure trial runs and start-up operations are properly performed
• Follow La Colombe’s safety procedures and Good Manufacturing procedures and practices

Benefits

• Chobani provides a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision coverage, disability insurance, health savings account, flexible spending accounts, and tuition reimbursement.
• To help save for the future, all employees are eligible for a 401k match of 100% on up to 5% of eligible pay.
• To support growing families, we provide fertility and childcare assistance, and 12 weeks of parental leave at full pay after six months of continuous employment.
• In addition, we provide wellness resources which include an employee assistance program, fitness discounts, a wellness reimbursement, on-site gym access (certain locations) and a monthly wellness newsletter to connect you with resources and timely information.
• We offer various types of paid time of including: 120 hours of paid time off, 11 holidays, and paid volunteer time off.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees