The Food
Application Scientist (Associate
Scientist 2)is a hands-on lab scientist responsible for food
application research for innovative antioxidant and/or antimicrobial
products used in the human food ingredient, with a focus on food
stability and safety. Kemin products are
ultimately used to improve the shelf life and freshness of food.
This position
works in coordination with the global R&D team within the strategic
plan to execute specific assignments which help to maximize Kemin’s research efforts. This role is expected to
work under minimal supervision. Extraordinary decisions are consulted
with the manager and/or team for collaboration.
Responsibilities:
Conduct
intensive research and gather data on a variety of food matrices.
Conduct
expanded application studies, looking at general oxidative
characteristics, level of actives, etc.
Conduct
application studies/characterization studies on Kemin
products
Focus
and prioritize projects and assume responsibility for their success;
oversee multiple projects in compliance with the Product Innovation
Process which will lead to future sales.
Work
closely with others in R&D to ensure that new technologies and
applications are developed in an efficient and timely fashion
Actively
participate in identifying research areas that could lead to the
development of new products
Evaluate
and test ingredients on foods from around the globe
Write,
review, and approve various professional documents, for both
internal and external use
Identify
and develop new reactions, ingredients, products and processes
critical to the food and beverage industry.
Interact
with regulatory affairs, marketing, sales, quality assurance and
operations frequently from ideation through commercialization.
Assist
in the preparation of patents and other IP decisions
Develop
and provide product training to the team, and provide technical
input for customer questions and working with sales/marketing to resolve
customer technical issues.
Make
internal and external presentations to customers, and represent the
company at tradeshows and other events which showcase Kemin’s products and services.
Effectively
manage timelines and projects.
Provide
on-going technical expert knowledge and offer solutions to problems
to company and customers to Kemin efforts
to expand its commercial sales.
Write
research proposals
Provide
activity reports.
Other
job-related duties as needed to support business efforts and to
fulfill positive and proactive research efforts.
Working
Conditions: The Associate Scientist is based at the Kemin Food Technologies lab in Des Moines, Iowa (US).
This exempt-level position is considered to be 40 hours per week, but
requires tremendous flexibility and will require a moderate amount of
domestic and international travel.
Qualifications:
Master’s
degree with 5-7 years of experience, preferably in developing new
technologies for the food and beverage industry; Undergraduate
degree in Chemistry or Food Science with a solid understanding of
antioxidants in food products including fats and oils, or in the
meat industry.
Experience
with different lab techniques, including wet chemistry methods,
HPLC, GC, etc.
Previous
experience working for a multinational organization is desired.
Excellent
organizational skills.
Intermediate
PC knowledge with MS Office programs (Word, Excel, Access, &
PowerPoint).
Excellent
verbal and written communication skills, problem-solving skills, and
critical-thinking skills.
Strong
interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively in a diverse
team environment.
Ability
to meet deadlines and maintain professional demeanor while working
under pressure.
Must
be a reliable, flexible, and well-organized self-starter with the
ability to present and communicate ideas and findings effectively to
customers, vendors, peers and all levels of management.
Ability
to handle multiple projects efficiently.
Ability
to maintain confidentiality and protect intellectual property.
