Product Development Scientist
Boston, MA US
Job Description
Product Development Scientist
This individual is responsible for the creation and development of new food products and formats that build upon company brand equity and deliver growth. This position supports and manages product development activities and projects from concept through commercialization, including, but not limited to trend monitoring, concept development, raw materials sourcing, benchtop development, raw materials sourcing, benchtop development, designing and managing trials and start-ups, writing technical reports and documenting procedures.
- This job is classified essential on site – no remote / hybrid options are allowed for this position
- Flexibility on all three shifts to accommodate trials and first productions is required
Essential Job Functions / Key Accountabilities:
Product Development
- Manage technical development of projects focusing on new product development. Plan and carry out development work in lab and pilot scale; design, develop and lead tests to qualify new products
- Benchmark and evaluate experimental formulas and recipes using indicators such as COGS evaluation, potential scrap rate and expected production crew size. Optimize existing formulas for improvement and efficiency as needed
- Create benchtop samples for internal and external meetings and evaluation, sensory and microbial analysis, and shelf-life evaluation
- Design and execute experiments, and analyze and interpret data to make sound technical recommendations on product and process
- Develop and/or improve formulas and recipes using analytical data coming from Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Dynamic Hybrid Rheology (DHR), tempering curve analysis (Temper Index, slope, crystallization), and similar technologies
- Maintain detailed and precise project history records including developmental records, technical reports, specifications, outcomes, observations and recommendations
Product Industrialization
- Provide technical risk assessment/perspectives related to new product development
- Work closely with the Quality team, Operations and Procurement to ensure stability of products in development and production
- Manage and organize production trials and start-ups to validate, modify and launch new formulas or processing procedures. Test and develop work instructions, processing parameters and operating procedures used in Production
- Work closely in cross functional teams with Production, Procurement, Quality and Marketing to develop and launch new products
Raw Materials and New Trends Scouting
- Partner externally to source ingredients and leverage vendor expertise in ingredient functionality
- Lead and support the development of raw material, semi-finished and finished product specifications
- Develop working relationships with suppliers in agreement with purchasing department; recognize new trends in the raw material marketplace for potential integration into new or optimized formulas
- Stay up-to-date on industry trends and best practices and best practices, and apply this knowledge to the product development process
**If you’d like to hear more about this opportunity and others we are currently working on, please contact Kristine O’Sullivan at kosullivan@cps4jobs.com.
JO: 362.23KO
#LI-KO1
Job Requirements
Technical Qualifications:
Experience
Required
- 5-7 years of experience in food product development, preferably confectionery
- Experience in a manufacturing environment
- Experience in major consumer brands / major CPG companies
Preferred but NOT required
- Experience in chocolate product development
- Experience in food sensory tasting
- Experience with ingredient research and development
- Experience with food processing equipment in lab and production settings
Skills & Knowledge:
- Creative and detail oriented
- Analytical and problem-solving skills
- Well established technical / scientific skills
- Ability to handle multiple projects and assignments effectively
- Excellent communication and presentation skills
- Ability to recognize and identify subtle flavor differences in products
- Ability to work both independently and in a team environment
- Proficient in MS Office
Education:
Required
- BS degree in food science or closely related field
Preferred but NOT required
- Formal training in confectionery or related discipline / MS in food science or closely related field
**If you’d like to hear more about this opportunity and others we are currently working on, please contact Kristine O’Sullivan at kosullivan@cps4jobs.com.
JO: 362.23KO
#LI-KO1
Meet Your Recruiter
Kristine O'Sullivan
Sr. Partner
The Food and Beverage Division specializes in the placement of technical professionals in the food and beverage industry from entry level to executive level candidates. I have a talented group of recruiters who specifically source Technical Sales Professionals, Scientists, Regulatory Affairs, Scientific Affairs, Executive Technical professionals, Quality Assurance, Product Development, Technical Service, Nutrition, Analytical and Corporate Chefs. We work on both a contingent basis for professional level searches and retained search for executive level searches. CPS, Inc. has been in the talent recruitment business for 40+ years and we recruit nationwide.