Sr. Food Technologist (Beverage)

Niagara Water•Diamond Bar, CA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Sr. Food Technologist is responsible to lead development of new flavored beverages, line extensions and value engineering projects. The incumbent will also act as a conduit to the cross functional teams, including but not limited to: marketing, sales, quality, procurement, and manufacturing.

Requirements

4 Years – Experience in Beverage Product Development and Commercialization experience may include a combination of work experience and education
Strong understanding of ingredients and its functionality used in the beverage industry
Strong understanding of product development processes and different manufacturing processes preferably in sparkling/carbonated soft drinks
Demonstrated excellent problem solving, continuous improvement and strategic thinking skills with very minimal guidance.
Ability to work collaboratively cross-functional team environments
Must be well organized
Excellent communication skills - written and verbal
Detail oriented; able to work independently and with minimal supervision
Fluent with all MS Office software (Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
Bachelor's Degree in Food Science or Nutrition Science

Nice To Haves

6 Years – Experience in Beverage Product Development and Commercialization experience may include a combination of work experience and education
Knowledge of Genesis label development tool is a plus
Knowledge of Agile/Oracle project management system is a plus
Experience of working with Tracegains is a plus
Master's Degree in Food Science or Nutrition Science

Responsibilities

Lead primary development of beverages either internally or through working with external partners like flavor companies.
Formulate products to achieve target flavor and nutritional profile, and label claims, while keeping cost in mind.
Be technical lead on beverage formulations, ingredient functionalities, and the different processing capabilities at Niagara.
Act as technical expert during commissioning of new formulas by applying key knowledge of ingredient functionalities, formulas, and processes, as well as troubleshooting skills to ensure successful scale-up.
Independently develop specifications for finished products and ingredients.
Manage internal sensory evaluations to determine product acceptability and provide summary and recommendations to proceed.
Support Sales objectives by in/directly interact with target/key customers in support of existing and new business growth opportunities.
Lead evaluation of ingredients for shelf life extensions and support various manufacturing plants with cost avoidance
Keep abreast of new ingredients, technologies, and processes that are applicable to Niagara product portfolios.
Maintain records of documents during development process independently with great attention to accuracy and details that will allow repeatability of data. This includes, but are not limited to: lab notebooks, analytical/organoleptic and sensory test results, formulas, and specifications.
Ensure streamlined communications between Product Development, Marketing, Supply Chain, Procurement, PLM, QA, Operations and Sales to maintain great rapport with all cross functional teams and ensuring awareness of key project milestones.
Responsible for producing (or work with flavor houses to produce) samples for customer evaluations while ensuring product specifications and safety are met.
Collaborate with QA, tech service, and operations to conduct line trials of new formulations to verify manufacturing feasibilities.

Benefits

Paid Time Off for holidays, sick time, and vacation time
Paid parental and caregiver leaves
Medical, including virtual care options
Dental
Vision
401(k) with company match
Health Savings Account with company match
Flexible Spending Accounts
Expanded mental wellbeing benefits including free counseling sessions for all team members and household family members
Family Building Benefits including enhanced fertility benefits for IVF and fertility preservation plus adoption, surrogacy, and Doula reimbursements
Income protection including Life and AD&D, short and long-term disability, critical illness and an accident plan
Special discount programs including pet plans, pre-paid legal services, identity theft, car rental, airport parking, etc.
Tuition reimbursement, college savings plan and scholarship opportunities