Senior Food Scientist
Schwan’s Company, a U.S. affiliate of the global lifestyle company, CJ CheilJedang Corporation, is a leading U.S. manufacturer and marketer of quality foods offered through retail-grocery and food-service channels. Our many popular brands include Red Baron®, Tony’s®, Big Daddy’s®, Villa Prima™ and Freschetta® pizza; Mrs. Smith’s® and Edwards® desserts; Bibigo®, Pagoda® and Kahiki® Asian-style snacks. Schwan’s is a place for people with an appetite for more. To learn about joining a team where you can belong, contribute and thrive, visit www.schwanscompany.com
We are seeking a Senior Food Scientist to join our Frozen Pizza Products R&D team in Salina, KS. This is one of the largest pizza manufacturing facilities in the world that has recently completed an expansion. This R&D role is responsible primarily for developing and supporting our frozen pizza portfolio in the retail and foodservice markets. You'll be tasked with development of new, innovative products, renovating current products and improving operational efficiencies. As a part of the R&D Team and working with cross-functional partners including Marketing, Sales, Operations and External Customers, you will be a significant contributor to launching new products within established frozen pizza platforms.
What You Will Get From Us
• Opportunities for career growth with one of THE fastest growing food companies in the US
• A culture focused on building trust, challenging assumptions, and continuous transformation
• Competitive compensation including incentives and a flexible time off program
Position Responsibilities
• Stretch the boundaries to find the next big thing for consumers through bench top development work, investigating technology, leveraging consumer insights, conducting plant trials, and creative problem solving
• Develop experimental formulas, processing procedures, and specifications for raw ingredients, subassemblies, and finished products for product innovation and renovation that meet defined project parameters
• Design and conduct complex experiments and plant trials documenting findings and conclusions in technical reports
• Support flawless execution of new product start-ups and product changes
• Deliver cost savings and product improvements through research of ingredient alternatives, formula optimizations and enhanced ingredient functionality
• Provide advanced technical solutions to production issues as it relates to ingredient, formulas, processing procedures, and specifications
• Work effectively with cross-functional team members including Marketing, Sales, Operations, Food Safety, Procurement as well as external vendors and customers
• Document all work according to established procedures and guidelines, provide timely and effective oral and written communication and prepare various project reports to team and project leader to ensure complete communication of project status, progress, issues, solutions, timeline, and accountability
Preferred Qualifications
• Bachelor’s in Food Science, Bakery Science or related field, Master’s preferred
• 5+ years of combined relevant work experience in food product design, formulation, ingredient functionality and interaction, process design, produce scale-up, plant testing and commercialization; previous R&D experience in frozen food, baking, dairy products, meals and/or sauces is highly preferred
• Good understanding of fundamental principles of food science and technology, along with standard food micro, lab best practices and procedures
• Knowledge of food industry standards of quality and food safety, GMPs, HACCP, food labeling and FDA/USDA regulations
• General culinary knowledge and passion for global food is beneficial in this position
• Good general knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Outlook
• Advanced communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work with complex spreadsheets and interpret technical data
• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, draw valid conclusions, and offer solutions
• Ability to taste and ingest any type of food product currently under development
The employing subsidiaries of Schwan’s Company are Equal Employment Opportunity Employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, age, race, color, religion, gender, vet status, national origin or other protected class.
Food and Beverage Manufacturing
Research, Analyst, and Information Technology
Full-time