Sr. Food Technologist

Responsibilities:

• This role is full-time and onsite; responsible for the development of new products, the optimization of existing products, and the onboarding of transfers.

• Apply knowledge of food science principles and ingredient functionality while considering other inputs such as safety, regulatory constraints, stability, shelf-life, storage, scalability, cost, certifications/verifications, and customer defined ingredient guidelines, etc.

• Work hands-on to transition formulations from lab-scale batches to full-scale production and effectively manage all technical aspects of the product development process from bench-top through commercialization and provide any post-launch support.

• Works to optimize formulation, stability of finished goods from a physical, chemical, and sensory analysis perspective

• Works closely with customers and internal resources to develop and launch new products and support existing products.

• Identifies, prioritizes, and coordinates internal activities across various functional departments to meet customer and business needs promptly, and within a reasonable time frame.

• Apply a solid knowledge of the product development process, e.g. stage-gate and/or design control to bring optimal solutions to customers and manage and prioritize work.

• Apply basic knowledge of various packaging related technologies and their effect related to finished goods shelf life, stability and overall product performance.

• Apply basic knowledge and/or demonstrate a strong desire to learn and develop products across a variety of regulatory frameworks.

• Evaluate and propose alternative raw materials that can lead to better processing and/or cost savings.

• Assist Operations and/or Quality Assurance with the investigation of root cause analysis when

• investigating customer complaints.

• Ensures customer quality and product specification requirements are met during the product development stage or improvement of an existing product.

• Drafts formulas, processing instructions, raw material specifications, in-process specifications, finished goods specifications, component and packaging specifications

• Communicates technical issues and status of projects to key stakeholders both internal and external.

• Performs timely reporting of project progress and escalation of critical issues

• 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

• Must be a self-starter and be able to work in a fast-paced environment and handle multiple projects and tasks

• Maintain clean & safe manufacturing and product development environment within all facilities

• Ensures new product development and commercialization stages meet all GMP and Product Quality and Safety guidelines

• This role assumes a formulation leadership role for a range of formats to include but not limited to pellets, powders, and chews, and across the following regulatory categories: animal food including dietary supplements (21CFR507), medicated feeds (21CFR225), Type A medicated feed (21CFR226), and Drugs/Pharmaceuticals (21CFR210/211).

Qualifications:

• Minimum BS Food Science, Food Engineering, Foods & Nutrition, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Pharmaceutical Science, or related degree.

• An advanced degree is a plus, but not required.

• A Certified Food Scientist (CFS) certification is a plus, but not required.

• 3-5 years product development experience within a manufacturing environment.

• 1+ years of food industry experience in extrusion technology, pellet mill technology, and/or pet food formulation is helpful

• Must have manufacturing experience in food (or pet food), preferably in dietary supplement and/or pharmaceutical manufacturing

• Comfortable formulating with natural raw materials, understand the importance of ensuring the manufacturability of a formulation, and be able to work effectively and cross-functionally across our Operations, Supply Chain/Purchasing, Quality Assurance, Quality Control, Account Managers, and Accounting/Finance groups.

• Requires good interpersonal skills, strong verbal and written communication ability, and a firm knowledge of industry trends, customer base, and internal capabilities.

• A strong food science foundation, with proven experience in developing products from benchtop, piloting/scale-up, to full production and commercialization.

• Excellent organizational skills and a high attention to detail.

• A critical thinker, that possesses an affinity for creative problem solving.

• Prior experience in pet food formulation, extrusion technology, pellet mill technology, dietary supplement and/or pharmaceutical formulation is desired.