Food Scientist (Chicago)

The Opportunity

• Join a world leader in specialty coatings and functional blends for the food and pharmaceutical industries, part of a NYSE-traded company.
• Shape the future of stabilizer blends for multiple applications, focusing on innovative, in-depth scientific exploration rather than routine tasks.
• Work in a culture that values intelligence, initiative, and independent problem-solving, offering significant autonomy in project execution.
• Benefit from a clear career growth path, including potential for a Team Lead position and advancement on a technical ladder.
• Contribute to a highly innovative business, with dedicated time (20%) for developing new products and solutions.
• Enjoy a comprehensive benefits package, including a pension plan, which is a rare and highly attractive offering in today's market.

What You'll Do

• Lead and execute customer-driven projects, exploring various formulations and conducting multiple experiments to achieve optimal results.
• Serve as the primary technical interface with customers, collaborating directly to understand needs and ensure product success within their processes.
• Drive innovation projects from concept to commercialization, focusing on unique and new solutions for the market.
• Maintain detailed documentation of project work and prepare necessary support materials like spec sheets and nutritional information.
• Utilize available resources effectively, including pilot plant operations and ingredient weighing technicians, to maximize project efficiency.
• Work cross-functionally with sales, QA, and production teams, providing technical support and insights while proactively navigating internal dynamics to advance projects.
• Spend approximately 20% of your time on innovation initiatives, exploring new ideas and driving the development of novel products.

Candidate Profile

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Food Science or a related scientific field.
• 4+ years of hands-on experience in product development or applications , with a strong understanding of stabilizer blends . This is the core requirement.
• Proven ability to approach scientific problems with curiosity, exploring multiple experimental avenues rather than settling for a one and done solution.
• Strong initiative, drive, and the ability to take ownership of projects, working independently with minimal direct supervision.
• Experience directly interfacing with customers and presenting technical information.
• Emotional maturity, capable of navigating complex organizational relationships, including those with sales teams.
• Strong project management abilities, capable of outlining projects, setting clear objectives, and organizing experiments effectively.
• Solid skills in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Excel); emphasis on inherent intelligence over reliance on sophisticated software.
• Knowledge of SQF, GMP's, Kosher, Sanitation, Allergen, and Organic practices.
• Willingness to travel occasionally (under 20%) to customer facilities for project collaboration and technical support.
• Proactive approach to professional development, continuously seeking to enhance skills and expand knowledge.
• Live/relocate to the northwest suburban Chicago area