About the position
Simply Good Foods seeks a creative, curious, and passionate Food Scientist to join our collaborative and dynamic environment. The Food Scientist will be responsible for strategizing and optimizing our product line, developing new products across all brands, and ensuring raw materials meet specifications. This individual will work cross-functionally with internal teams and external partners and will create formulations and specifications for Contract Manufacturers, demonstrating expertise in Snack and/or Food science, recipe development, and scale-up. A successful Food Scientist will have a growth mindset, be self-motivated, and is willing to learn and adapt within our R&D team. This hands-on role includes bench and analytical work, pilot plant management, and assisting with manufacturing scale-up and optimization, alongside troubleshooting day-to-day product issues. The Food Scientist will lead the development of new products across the Simply Good Foods line throughout all phases of product development from initial bench development to commercial launch, while considering critical technical issues such as food safety, food stability, shelf-life, scalability, processability, cost, nutritional and ingredient guidelines, etc. They will understand and demonstrate the application of consumer product testing, sensory, analytical, etc. tools to deliver superior products in line with optimum product design. The role also involves conducting and documenting product development lab work, including the creation of benchtop prototypes, implementation and maintenance of stability testing and shelf-life, and support of sales samples and scale-ups for commercialization. Additionally, the Food Scientist will leverage formula documentation systems for development and implementation of product specification requirements. They will partner internally (Marketing and Procurement) and externally to source ingredients, identify and leverage expertise in ingredient functionality, and provide technical and business risk assessment/perspectives related to new product development and technical brand stewardship activities. The role requires collaboration with Quality, Contract Manufacturing, and Operations teams on new and renovated product development and introduction programs to assure that the product and its production-intent processes meet program objectives, manufacturability, timelines, and cost targets. The Food Scientist will independently design and analyze results from multiple experiments, formulate conclusions, and design future experiments, while also writing technical and project status reports, protocols, finished product specifications, plant trial protocol/summary documents, and shelf-life studies. This position is highly diverse in scope, requiring the utilization of experience and problem-solving skills to solve complex technical challenges related to the development, manufacturing, and/or improvement of food products and processes, making appropriate technical recommendations.
Responsibilities
- Lead the development of new products across the Simply Good Foods line throughout all phases of product development from initial bench development to commercial launch.
- Understand and demonstrate the application of consumer product testing, sensory, analytical, etc. tools to deliver superior products in line with optimum product design.
- Conduct and document product development lab work, including the creation of benchtop prototypes, implementation and maintenance of stability testing and shelf-life, and support of sales samples and scale-ups for commercialization.
- Leverage formula documentation systems for development and implementation of product specification requirements.
- Partner internally (Marketing and Procurement) and externally to source ingredients, identify and leverage expertise in ingredient functionality.
- Provide technical and business risk assessment/perspectives related to new product development and technical brand stewardship activities.
- Demonstrate ability to learn and leverage key internal processes and business applications.
- Work collaboratively between Quality, Contract Manufacturing, and Operations teams on new and renovated product development and introduction programs to assure that the product and its production-intent processes meet program objectives, manufacturability, timelines, and cost targets.
- Independently design and analyze results from multiple experiments, formulate conclusions, and design future experiments.
- Work with cross-functional teams (marketing, insights, operations, food safety quality and regulatory) to deliver scalable products.
- Write technical and project status reports, protocols, finished product specifications, plant trial protocol/summary documents, shelf-life studies, etc.
- Utilize experience and problem-solving skills to solve complex technical challenges related to the development, manufacturing, and/or improvement of food products and processes and make appropriate technical recommendations.
- Understand and conduct basic analytical testing in support of product development.
- Work with external cross-functional teams that include ingredient suppliers, equipment suppliers, technical sales and contract manufacturers.
- Prioritize and manage multiple projects with overlapping deadlines.
- Ensure the security and confidentiality of all information regarding product formulas and related data.
- Maintain GLP's, GMP's, and all required laboratory records, using electronic systems and written protocols, to ensure data integrity and compliance.
- Partner with the Coman team to lead the assessment and process capability studies when required, and provide on-site support to plant operations for existing products, productivity, and quality programs.
Requirements
- B.S. or M.S. with 3+ years of experience is required.
- Experience in consumer foods or beverage industry.
- Experience / Knowledge with Shakes, Bakery, Sweet or Savory Snacks product development.
- Food Science degree is preferred.
Nice-to-haves
- Strong customer relationship development experience including rapid prototyping, technical presentations, ingredient functionality and application support, and problem-solving.
- Demonstrated technical curiosity, creativity, and ability to innovate.
- Ability to effectively manage multiple projects/tasks of varying complexities and meet tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
Benefits
- Medical, dental and vision insurance
- Health reimbursement arrangement (company paid)
- Life and disability coverage
- 401(k) retirement plan
- Flexible time off (for exempt positions)
- Paid parental leave
- Remote workdays on Monday and Friday for office-based employees
