Scientist

The Coca-Cola Company•Apopka, FL

4d•Onsite

About The Position

You will be part of The Ingredient Quality Department (IQD) that assures the quality and integrity of flavor ingredients used in Company products. Working closely with internal and external flavor producers, you will be part of a team that applies analytical, sensorial, and quality‑system knowledge to support manufacturing operations and to confirm ingredient suitability for release. The position holds responsibility for technical decision‑making and quality leadership, including interpretation and authorization of analytical results, approval of technical reports, and stewardship of elements of the laboratory Quality Management System in alignment with ISO/IEC 17025 and customer requirements. The role actively leads the evolution and strengthening of laboratory capability, enhancing automation and digitization, while maintaining compliance and data integrity. The successful candidate will function as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in chromatography and mass spectrometry, including techniques such as GC/MS, LC‑MS/MS, and GC‑MS/MS. You will make decisions on how we enhance data analysis and lab work using automation, artificial intelligence (AI) and digitization and will be a part of the implementation. Collaboration is required with Plant leadership and team members.

Requirements

B.Sc. degree in Chemistry.
Strong practical expertise in LC‑MS/MS, GC-MS/MS and GC‑MS based techniques with flavor ingredients.
Hands‑on laboratory experience in the food, agricultural, pharmaceutical, chemical, or another regulated industry.
Demonstrated ability to apply and integrate qualitative and quantitative analytical techniques to investigate complex technical questions and improve system performance.
Proven experience acquiring new instrumentation, developing and validating methods, troubleshooting, and interpreting analytical data.
Strong working knowledge of Quality Management Systems, with demonstrated experience applying ISO/IEC 17025 principles in practice.
Advanced understanding and practical application of Good Laboratory Practices (GLP).
Experience supporting the growth of technical capability through training, coaching, and mentoring.
Sound analytical judgement, curiosity, and problem‑solving capability, with confidence making technical decisions in dynamic environments.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills, enabling effective collaboration across teams and global functions.
Collaboration with stakeholders.
Ability to manage competing priorities while remaining focused on learning, quality, and risk awareness.
Hands‑on experience with a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS).
Must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis and must not require The Coca-Cola Company's sponsorship to continue to work legally in the United States.

Nice To Haves

An advanced degree (M.Sc. or Ph.D.) is preferred.
Preferred experience with flavor and/or fragrance ingredients.
Preferred experience working in, or supporting, a manufacturing environment.

Responsibilities

Provide technical leadership for routine and non‑routine Quality Control investigations and analytical activities, applying validated chromatographic and mass spectrometric methods while developing deeper understanding of analytical performance and system behavior.
Interpret complex analytical data, act as a final technical approver, and authorize sample release, applying sound scientific judgement to ensure results are compliant with defined specifications and quality requirements.
Lead the development, optimization, validation, and transfer of analytical methods, using experimentation and learning within controlled frameworks to optimize performance.
Act as technical owner for analytical instrumentation, learning from performance trends to guide verification, calibration, maintenance, troubleshooting, and ongoing optimization.
Serve as a senior technical resource and mentor, supporting capability building through shared learning, coaching, and constructive challenge within the analytical team.
Translate complex analytical data and conclusions for both technical and non‑technical audiences, strengthening shared understanding and informed decision‑making.
Identify, justify, and execute capital investment projects, shaping future laboratory capability through evidence‑based evaluation and long‑term thinking.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives, learning from deviations, data trends, and operational experience to strengthen analytical quality, service delivery, and efficiency.
Monitor emerging scientific, analytical, and industry developments, critically evaluating and integrating relevant advances that enhance laboratory effectiveness, digitization and automation while maintaining regulatory compliance.
Provide leadership in maintaining and evolving compliance with the IQD Quality Management System, ISO/IEC 17025 requirements, and customer expectations.
Enable laboratory‑wide adherence to quality system requirements, supporting training, documentation, quality records, internal audits, and inspection readiness, and acting as an SME during audits and assessments.
Lead Root Cause Investigations and Risk Assessments, using them as opportunities to increase system understanding and to implement effective, sustainable corrective actions.
May serve as a backup to the Lab Director when they are out of office, managing lab operations, authorize sample reports and provide limited staff managerial support.