Associate Food Technologist
The Associate Food Technologist is responsible for supporting the development of food products in support of the Company business needs. They assist with planning and conducting multiple project assignments. Their project scope includes supporting new products, quality improvements of existing products, cost optimization of existing products and technical brand maintenance.
Principal and Essential Duties & Responsibilities
- Promotes applicable safety, regulatory, GMP requirements in lab, pilot plant, and manufacturing facilities. Assists in writing of new policy and procedures as needed.
- Executes with guidance on multiple projects to grow top line volume in support of new product development as a % of revenue goals. Conducts and leads required lab, pilot plant and plant experimentation.
- Participates (and may lead) in product development process including: Materials, food processes, sensory testing, customer & consumer testing, NPD stage gate process, costing, plant trials commercialization, and related processes.
- Documents all development work accurately. This includes written documentation of lab work, product showings, and plant trials in a timely manner with little to no guidance.
- Prepares accurate and timely specifications for all products developed. This includes: materials, formula, process and finished product with little to no guidance.
- Acts as technical customer and consumer consultant for assigned products and channels. Understands who the customer and consumer is, why and how they use our products.
- Interacts cross-functionally with Marketing, Purchasing, QA and Operations to successfully implement new product developments.
- Conducts Product Showings to evaluate products developed and competition.
- Interacts with customers as needed.
Minimum Education and Experience
Bachelors degree in Food Science, Meat Science, Packaging, Process Engineering or related discipline plus 0-3 years of related work experience. MS Degree is a plus. A candidate with at least 1 year, or more, or relevant experience is highly preferred.
The ideal candidate will have:
- Technical problem solving skills.
- Excellent oral, written, communication and planning skills.
- Ability to coordinate multi-task projects; results oriented; prior supervisory experience.
- Expert Knowledge of the product development process from idea generation, bench top, scale up and commercialization.
- Ability to influence necessary cross-functional partners for successful implementation of projects.
- Knowledge of ingredients including functionality, allergen considerations and cost.
- Understanding of food manufacturing processes and the sequence of events necessary to convert raw materials to finished products.
- Expert in poultry processing and/or related food product systems.
- Ability to travel up to 25% of the time.
Perdue Farms, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.