R&D Lab Technician

Department: Business Development

Location: On-site in West Chicago

Minimum Hourly Rate: $23.59

Employment Type: Regular Full Time

Shift: 1st Shift

Scheduled Work Hours: 7:30 am - 4:00 pm, Monday - Friday, with OT as required.

The Jel Sert Company marks a major milestone this year, 100 years of success, innovation, and industry leadership. The Jel Sert Company has focused on creating high-quality, high-value foods and beverages that help bring people together. Jel Sert is proud to have been awarded the Great Place to Work certification, as well as recognized as a Best Workplace to Work in Chicago and a Best Workplace to Work in Manufacturing and Production. We are currently looking for a passionate and dedicated individual to join our team as an R&D LAB TECHNICIAN. If you are looking for a work environment that encourages personal growth, responsibility, and a shared vision for creating incredible products that help create lasting memories, then Jel Sert wants you!

The R&D LAB TECHNICIAN is responsible for assisting with day-to-day lab maintenance, formulation preparation and adjustments, process improvement, stability studies, and sensory panels.

This position will require the employee to work overtime as needed. Overtime is scheduled based on individual job responsibilities and the department's needs.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES *other duties may be assigned.

• Benchtop formulation preparation/adjustments, lab maintenance, and equipment calibration as needed
• Conduct stability studies and sensory panels
• Internal sample requests to prepare for internal customers in order to conduct sensory panels
• Process improvement, plant trials, data entry of lab testing, and sensory results for verifying
• Compile and analyze data from tests and panels
• Communicates test results to formulation staff

QUALIFICATIONS

An individual must be able to successfully perform each essential responsibility. Listed below are representative duties that reflect the knowledge, skills, and abilities required.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

• Minimum of 2 years of experience within a lab environment, related to quality control and/or product development, required
• Manufacturing experience in the food and beverage and/or pharmaceutical industries is preferred.
• Knowledge of scientific methods, terminology, and good lab practice.
• Average skills in Microsoft Excel, Word, and Outlook are required.
• Associates in Science preferred.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Ability to gather and analyze data in order to compile information and prepare reports.
• Organized, detail-oriented, neat, and able to meet deadlines.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Self-starter who can work independently as well as in a team environment.
• Ability to function independently in a multi-task environment, as well as part of a team.
• Strong analytical thinker

BENEFITS & SALARY

Jel Sert Company is committed to pay transparency and will provide further compensation information during the interview process. The minimum compensation for the R&D Lab Technician is $23.59 per hour. Actual compensation to be paid will be determined upon an offer. Compensation is determined by a candidate’s experience, education, skills, training, and the internal equity within our organization. In addition to a competitive compensation package, regular full-time corporate employees of Jel Sert are eligible for our extensive benefits programs that can be reviewed here.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Standing: Remaining upright on the feet, particularly for sustained periods of time.
• Reaching: Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction
• Walking: Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another.
• Lifting: Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position to position.
• Fingering: Picking, pinching, typing, or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand or arm as in handling.
• Grasping: Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.
• Talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word.
• Hearing: perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction, and having the ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and making fine discriminations in sound.
• Repetitive Motions: Making substantial movements (motions) of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers.
• Kneeling: Bending legs at the knee to come to a rest on the knee or knees.
• Crouching: Bending the body downward and forward by bending the leg and spine.
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs on an as-needed basis
• Ability to climb stairs in order to get to areas of the facility to perform job responsibilities.
• Pushing and pulling of carts on an as-needed basis.
• Ability to use senses: taste, touch, smell, and sight.
• Close visual acuity to perform activities: preparing and analyzing data and figures, viewing a computer terminal, reading, visual inspection of materials, operating laboratory devices, etc.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Mainly lab environment with some office and plant work. In the lab environment, one will work, from time to time, with hazardous chemicals with supplied safety equipment, and is subject to atmospheric conditions such as dust.

FOOD SAFETY and QUALITY RESPONSIBILITIES

Follow applicable procedures and work instructions.

Backup Redundant.

IMPACT ON JEL SERT SUCCESS

This job assists with formulation preparation, plant operational process improvements, cost-savings initiatives, and shelf-life verification to ensure a quality finished product.