Maker's Pride

The R&D Food Scientist– NBI (New Bakery & Innovation R&D Platform) within Maker’s Pride is a technical position within the greater R&D team that requires a self-motivated, technically experienced, customer focused candidate who will work comfortably cross functionally on the New Bakery & Innovation Business Platform (NBI) with Operations, Sales, Quality, Regulatory, Marketing, Supply Chain, Procurement, Finance, Project Management and Engineering to drive results within Maker’s Pride.

The R&D Food Scientist enables business decisions to be made cross functionally while also providing significant technical expertise, leadership and execution in the formulation, process development and commercialization of new products, within Regulatory and Food Safety requirements, across multiple Maker’s Pride plant locations.

This candidate requires creativity, innovative thinking, interpersonal effectiveness, effective project management skills, a depth of technical food processing knowledge and the ability to collaborate/mentor/lead with other professionals, within Maker’s Pride and outside with customers, both locally and domestically to achieve common goals.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES / WHAT YOU GET TO DO

Project Management:

• Works on the new bakery projects in the New Bakery & Innovation R&D platform from concepts, ingredient sourcing, reformulating, cost management and product life cycle maintenance
• This position requires an individual to balance multiple assignments/tasks concurrently and demonstrate the ability to work independently or to lead a team within R&D
• Sets goals, specifications and manages full-scale production plant trials
• Works closely in cross-functional teams including Operations, Quality, Regulatory, Food Safety and Finance to design food products that meet nutrition guidelines, claims on pack and can be produced cost effectively across the many Maker’s Pride plants domestically. Enables business decision and gets results through clear cross functional communication
• Upon completion of successful trials this R&D Scientist will then turnover the production phase to Operations with set specifications, process instructions, appropriate yields and run rates
• Understands the business need, designs, implements tests, analyzes data, draws conclusions, documents, communicates results, and commercializes products
• Positively and proactively interacts with customers, prospects, R&D management and all colleagues to keep projects on track. Constructive technical relationship building, trust and communication skills are key to success in this role
• Travels and collaborates with plant personnel in production facilities on issues with existing processes
• Assists, Core Bakery R&D, upon availability to drive improvements in production processes to ensure consistency, efficiency, and waste reduction in manufacturing across production lines

Leadership:

• This role involves leading New Bakery & Innovation projects ensuring that all products meet quality, cost, safety, and market standards while business decisions are made effectively and efficiently
• Leads, mentors and provides technical guidance to less experienced R&D associates across platforms, fostering a collaborative and innovative environment
• Identifies and evaluates food trends with the Marketing Insights team that supports the business vision and customer strategy within a rolling 2-year horizon
• Develops an understanding of what Maker’s Pride food processing lines are capable of manufacturing
• Collaborates cross functionally within Maker’s Pride R&D platform teams (Bars, Bakery, Refrigerated & Frozen and Packaging) as needed. Works comfortably with suppliers and manufacturing facilities

Product Development:

• Manages some incoming new projects cross functionally in the weekly CFL meetings, driving forward profitable projects and pushing back respectfully others
• Leads bench, pilot plant and production trials on new projects
• Manages new formulas within targeted costs for Private Label which can get produced commercially on the Maker’s Pride manufacturing lines across multiple Maker’s Pride plants to drive revenue growth
• Drives new co-manufacturing developments for key customers through the promotion of our manufacturing services and capabilities. This includes specifying ingredients, process parameters, developing ingredient statements and calculated nutritional statements through formulation software, sample production, profit thresholds, ordering analysis of samples to be sent to a third-party lab and sample validation before shipping to customers and Maker’s Pride R&D management
• Translates market trends and the consumer/business needs into innovative products and packages that can be commercialized in a fast-paced environment

Ingredient Sourcing & Research:

• Has in depth knowledge of suppliers, food manufacturers, trends, technological advancements, and ingredient innovations, incorporating them into product development
• Influences, manages projects/people, and solves problems effectively and efficiently
• Brings an entrepreneurial spirit and growth mindset with new ingredients to reduce formulation material costs

Cost and Process Optimization:

• Drives improvements in production processes to ensure consistency, efficiency, and waste reduction in manufacturing
• Proactively works with Procurement and suppliers to source innovative ingredients that align with product goals and enhance margin. Enables cross functional business decisions
• Provides training and support to Operations staff on new recipes and processes

Product Testing & Quality Control:

• Conducts testing to ensure product quality, safety, consistency and regulatory compliance
• Drives Sensory evaluations and consumer testing to ensure products meet desired standards
• Tests products for shelf life, storage stability, and packaging suitability

Customer & Market Focus:

• Stays up-to-date on Bakery trends and competitive products through Marketing Insights
• Stays up-to-date with industry developments, ingredients, and emerging technologies
• Engages with customers and marketing teams to ensure that products meet consumer preferences and brand positioning
• Attends industry conferences, trade shows, and meetings with customers while identifying market needs and new business opportunities

Regulatory & Compliance:

• Collaborates with the Regulatory team to ensure all product formulations comply with food safety regulations and labeling standards
• Works with Legal and Regulatory teams to manage product claims, certifications (e.g., gluten-free, organic) and ingredient transparency

Collaboration:

• Ability to manage a high-volume workflow in a fast paced, action-oriented environment
• Acts as a mentor to other parts of the organization for best-in-class R&D project management methods, tools and leadership
• Works closely with cross-functional teams including Business Development, Supply Chain, and Packaging to develop products that drive revenue results to meet the company’s goals
• Communicates findings, challenges, and solutions effectively with stakeholders at various levels on regular intervals and through structured 1:1s

KEY COMPETENCIES / WHAT WE WANT FROM YOU

• Collaborates within R&D and cross functionally on projects that drive revenue results
• Advanced knowledge of commercial Bakery production equipment and processes is preferred
• Proven experience in developing and scaling up Bakery products cost effectively in a commercial setting
• Excellent project management, critical thinking, organizational, and leadership skills
• Proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint, SAP (or other ERP software), PLM Software (Genesis/Product Vision)
• Familiarity with Regulatory standards, nutritional labeling, and product safety protocols
• Expertise in managing cross-functional teams and leading projects
• A desire to drive your future and accelerate your career while leading, coaching and mentoring others

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

• BS/MS/PhD in Food Science, Chemical Engineering, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Agricultural Science or Culinary Arts with minimum of 2+ years of experience successfully commercializing products
• 2-5 years of experience in Bakery product development is preferred, or from a similar product platform, with a track record of successful product launches

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Sitting at a workstation for extended periods of time
• Stand, walk, climb stairs on a frequent basis
• Must be able to lift 20 pounds on an infrequent basis
• Office-based with regular time spent in the test kitchen or production facilities
• There will be 10-20% travel domestically to suppliers, production sites or to attend industry conferences

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Maker's Pride is an Equal Opportunity Employer.