Food Scientist III

This position will support our Happy Family team, focused on the development of baby and toddler foods across dry & wet food technologies. This role will be responsible for leading innovation and renovation projects, while contributing to maintaining business needs, driving cost optimizations, and improving the current portfolio. We're looking for someone who can drive and manage the complete product development life cycle.

This position will span across ideation, rapid prototyping, engaging with consumers for concept development, hands on bench work, pilot plant trials, industrial trials, commercializing product launches, analytical and organoleptic evaluation, and the management of R&I tasks to ensure stage gate progression. The candidate must be able to represent R&I interests to internal cross functional partners, external partners, as well as inspire the business and our R&I team to pursue consumer centric innovation opportunities.

This position will be located in Louisville, CO.

In this role, you will be responsible for:

Supporting the Happy Family Business with advanced understanding of R&I strategy, category/business strategy and the ability to leverage diverse methods for executing projects.
• Manage and deliver deep & complex innovation, renovation and productivity projects across a vast network of co-manufacturers, with primary focus on meeting strict nutritional, quality, organoleptic and cost targets while anticipating challenges and building solid contingencies.
• Independently plan and execute bench, pilot, and plant trials for new and improved products, analyze test results and effectively translate these into problem solving for next steps that lead to project successes.
• Contribute to scoping and design of new ideas or technical solutions that contribute to R&I and product category strategy.
• Develop and manage product formulas, finished good specifications, processing procedures and raw material specifications that ensure high quality finished goods. Additionally, collect and maintain supporting supplementary documentation to the main specifications.

• Maintain a thorough understanding of and ensure product compliance with FDA and USDA requirements including US Food Labeling and National Organic Program Regulations.

• Collaborate with suppliers to pursue new technologies, capabilities, and novel ingredients.
• Deliver fundamental training and information sharing to cross functional partners or junior team members; Optimize and/or champion new ways of working.

The base compensation range for this position is $87,000-107,000 commensurate with experience. Danone North America additionally offers a performance-based bonus and has a strong benefits package including Medical, Dental, Vision, Prescription Drug Coverage, 401k Plan, Wellness Program, Life Insurance, Tuition Reimbursement, Flexible Time Off, and Paid Parental Bonding Leave, among other benefit plan options. To give our employees flexibility, Danone is a hybrid work environment.

• B.S (M.S. preferred) in Food Science or closely related field preferred with 5-10 years of experience in product development in the food industry.

• Strong technical skills in product formulation, industrial processes, ingredient functionality, and product-process interactions.
• Preferred expertise in extrusion, baking or freeze-drying technologies. Nice to have retort or hot fill technologies experience.
• Experience formulating products with strict quality, regulatory, organoleptic, and nutritional standards. Preference for experience in baby and toddler food industry.

• Strong project management/organization skills and the ability to influence key stakeholders on recommended courses of action.
• Excellent communication skills (both written and oral) and the ability to interact with all company functions including R&I, Marketing, Purchasing, Planning and Operations.
• Demonstrates proficiency in navigating the early stages of innovation, with a strong passion for ideation, rapid prototyping, development, and commercialization of concepts within tight deadlines.
• Open-minded, self-driven, and creative team player with a strong growth mindset.
• Flexibility to travel up to 25%.
• Driver's license required.

At Danone North America, you'll work with some of the best-known food and beverage brands in the world like Activia, Silk, Two Good, Oikos, evian, and Happy Family. You'll be part of one of the largest Certified B Corps in the world, working together to make sure our brands create real benefits for people, communities, and the planet. We have 6,000+ employees across the U.S. and Canada. Come join our movement for a healthier world: One Planet. One Health BY YOU.

Danone North America is proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer. It is our policy to give equal employment opportunities to all qualified persons without regard to legally protected characteristics, or any other consideration made unlawful by applicable federal, state/provincial and/or local law. For our EEO policy statement and your EEO rights under law click here.

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