Job Description

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Overview

As R&D Associate Principal Scientist, you will be part of a diverse and fast paced team in R&D, that leads development for grain-based products, such as oatmeal, ready to eat cereal, and pancake mixes. You will be responsible to translate consumer needs into product requirements & technical parameters to launch delicious and nourishing products for US and Canada markets.
We are looking for a hands-on food product developer that has a passion for food and science and is both, highly creative and technical oriented.

This role provides an excellent opportunity to impact consumers through new product development and build strong skillset to manage technical projects. You will be able to deliver results independently, and thrive in a collaborative team environment with R&D functions, Insights and Marketing.
Responsibilities

• Lead cross functional teams through the Stage Gate process from Feasibility to Execution while ensuring a robust product & process design
• Develop Product formulations that leverage expertise in food chemistry and food ingredient functionality
• Work together with a cross-functional team to design and develop new products, formulate lab prototypes, and lead scale-up the prototypes via pilot plant trials and final manufacturing plants
• Lead technical and business risk assessment / perspectives related to new product development, as well as product reformulations in support of Brand Stewardship
• Translate consumer needs and market trends into strategic and tactical product innovation and renovation projects
• Design and execute experiments following good scientific protocol, and analyze / interpret data to make sound technical recommendations on product and process issues
• Collect data and analyze using statistical methods. Leverage external and internal experts for key analytical and sensory research.
• Perform basic economic evaluations on ingredient usage in product formulations
• Partner with R&D disciplines, such as Quality Assurance, Food Safety, Nutrition, Regulatory, to ensure a robust, safe and legal product design
• Leverage internal expertise such as Technology Applications and Platforms teams, as well as partner externally to source ingredients and leverage vendor expertise in ingredient functionality

• BSc in chemical/electrical/food engineering, material science, food/dairy science, chemistry or other related applied science/engineering/technology disciplines; Master or PhD preferred.
• 5-8 years' experience with a CPG company with min 5 years in Product Development
• Detail oriented individual who can manage and partner across R&D functions during product development life cycles that include new idea generation, prototype development, product optimization, production start-up and national launching of new products
• Product Development - Deep Knowledge of ingredient function, formulation, mass balances.
• Process Development - Knowledge of Grain-based products; Oatmeal, Ready to eat cereal, Pancake mix, baked products
• Food Production -- Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
• Project management - Experience managing technical projects for several complexities, setting up the agenda and building timelines to meeting deadlines
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, think on their feet, and execute with speed
• Effective Communication skills to work with the whole value chain of the company.
• Demonstrated ability to function effectively in stressful, fast-paced situations, with the personal leadership to influence and positively motivate self and peers.
• Team player (good interpersonal skills, able to inspire/lead others)
• Positive, "can do" attitude, creative mindset to look for out-of-the- box solutions, both for innovation and technical challenges.
• Independent decision maker in a fast paced and demanding environment
• Preferred: Project Management skills: FTE calculations, RACI matrix, Critical Paths, Gantt Charts, Resource management.