Job Responsibilities

• Using expert knowledge of the food industry you will be expected to contribute to the growth of our core products by developing new or improving current applications including, but not limited to, egg replacement, heat stable icings for confectionary, sauces and dips, beverages and other categories including nutraceutical applications. Understanding industry trends, identifying gaps and obstacles of commercial production will be the basis used to develop an effective and profitable innovation pipeline. Develop and own R&D road map for new product ideas and recipes by planning, as well as performing, bench work and experiments to verify technical hypothesis (proof of concept) and analyzing results to provide next actions to achieve successful product commercialization. Work out a clear technical unique selling proposition (USP) by benchmarking against current ingredients and competitive products. You will be responsible for PSI, PST and Lab and customer support projects.
• Responsible to manage and mentor a small group of technical personnel including hiring, performance reviews, training, developing, mentoring, etc. through a professional presence and high employee engagement. Accountable for all aspects of a safely operating technical area and team. Ensures exchange of technical Know-How, best laboratory practices, common working standards as well new ideas with global application labs
• Ensures successful scale up of customer projects by interacting with Food, Flavor and Nutra Companies Innovation groups. Effectively conducts trouble shooting and root cause analysis for product and application issues. Provides technical support to Sales and to customers in the completion of key projects ensuring current projects fit in with existing customer or industry manufacturing capabilities; when required work with customer operations to advise on best practice to include Wacker products into processes.
• Successfully drives market support projects from the technical perspective and secures a timely and qualitative response to the customer. Visits customers with Sales Managers to support sales with discovery process. Keep abreast of new technical developments, product launches and market trends in the food industry to identify new opportunities. Actively monitors customer needs and brings them to visibility in the organization, organizes innovation meetings as well as conduct product training for the applications on a regional basis and for the focus segments on a global basis
• Manage the exchange of information and activities using best practice which includes but not limited to Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN), SAP, Excel, PPT, and Word). Document activities using Product Modification Activity (PMA), Project System Innovation (PSI) Charter Forms (PCF; ICF) and Opportunity Management with customer relationship tool. Develop intellectual property related to new products and / or applications, drive for related patent filings
• Set up Sensory Evaluation Process and Panel procedures which are industry standard in the new food lab and demonstrate effective meaningful results using this science
• Gives support to the production and continuously tries to improve productivity and quality together with the production the existing product portfolio
• Gives support to Regulatory activities in conjunction with the Regulatory, Quality, External and BU teams using a knowledge of FDA regulations, HACCP, GMP's and other applicable food safety or quality regulations
• Conducts continuous technical benchmarking with the major product competitors for our existing product portfolio

Job Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Chemistry, Food Chemistry; Food Science or a related field required; Master's Degree in Chemistry, Food Chemistry, Food Science or related field preferred
• Minimum 10 years experience with at least 3 of these year in a supervisory role

• Compensation and Incentive plans
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance effective day 1
• Paid Time Off in addition to personal days and holidays
• Paid parental leave
• Wellbeing fund
• Flexible hybrid work arrangements
• 401(k) with company match
• Education Assistance Program
• Career development and advancement opportunities
• Support for Community Involvement