Associate Food Scientist

The National Food Lab is a fast-growing company with a vision to be the destination for tailored solutions for the food industry – beginning to end. Our mission is to provide services that help food, beverage, and supplement companies deliver safe, healthy and successful products. We seek to make a positive impact in the advancement of food safety, quality and nutrition, fulfilling our corporate promise – to improve health and improve lives.

The National Food Lab’s best-in-class consumer and sensory research capabilities employ a variety of quantitative and qualitative consumer and sensory research techniques to help our clients make products consumers love. We help our clients:

• Develop new product ideas
• Re-energize a well-established product
• Assess product-concept fit or packaging effectiveness
• Understand the product, brand and category competitive landscapes
• Present objective results to management

The Associate Food Scientist focuses on prototype formulation, understanding ingredient functionality, and working with suppliers to source ingredients for new products. The Associate Food Scientist also support pilot plant production runs, shelf life studies, and learn the basic requirements to produce GMP products for testing.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Demonstrates and promotes the company vision
• Regular attendance and punctuality
• Applies GMP/GLP in all areas of responsibility, as appropriate
• Under direction, independently executes:
  • bench-top experiments and formulation work
  • nutritional and component analysis
  • pilot plant trials, shelf life studies, and sensory studies
  • experimental design
• Plans activities such as calculating ingredient quantities, production timing, and planning own weekly schedule
• Supports pilot plant trials; prepares samples for processing, operates processing and/or packaging equipment, and collects data. Produces samples of good quality
• Interfaces with ingredient suppliers; orders ingredients and requests documentation. Seeks out information/facilities to get the job completed
• Makes suggestions for modifications in experimental approach and proactive feedback on next steps based on results
• Occasionally (up to 10% of time) has to travel overnight, weekends, interstate and/or international travel
• Must demonstrate excellent communication and interpersonal skills; must be a team player who is professional and presentable
• Assists in writing reports, methods, protocols and SOPs.
• Keeps updated and educated on relevant news, literature and findings in the industry
• Networks with individuals outside of The National Food Lab
• Trains and assists less experienced staff
• Completes all required training courses
• Learns and demonstrates departmental procedures and policies
• Performs other related duties as assigned
• Conducts all activities in a safe and efficient manner
• Performs other duties as assigned
• Will be exposed to potential food allergens
• Required to handle and evaluate all types of foods and ingredients derived from plants, animals and synthetically manufactured

To perform this job successfully, the individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements below are representative of the knowledge, skill or ability required.

Educational Background/Qualifying Experiences:

Education Minimum Required:

• Masters of Sciences degree in Food Science or an allied science is required
• Bachelor of Science in Food Science or allied science with a minimum of one year practical experience

Experience Minimum Required:

• Demonstrates understanding of food GMP’s and FDA requirements for process adequacy.
• Basic knowledge of computers and software programs
• Must be able to work with both lab and pilot scale food processing machinery.

A salaried range for this position is between $62,000-$67,000

Other Factors:

• Overtime and weekend work as plants required
• Will be exposed to potential food allergens
• Must use hearing protection, eye protection, proper footwear, lab coat, hairnets and gloves when necessary.

Travel Requirements:

• Occasionally (up to approximately 10% of time) has to travel overnight, weekends, interstate or international where air travel is required.
• Travel is primarily to: Client facilities, manufacturing facilities and other NFL/Eurofins sites

What Happens Next:

Our people are the backbone of what we do, so it's incredibly important we find the right individuals to join us. As a potential new recruit you'll be invited to meet the team in the form of an assessment centre or a staged interview process dependent on the role and it's requirements, this will give you the opportunity to see what working for Eurofins is really like and enable us to get you know your key skills and strengths.

What we Offer:

• Excellent full time benefits including comprehensive medical coverage, dental, and vision options

• Life and disability insurance

• 401(k) with company match

• Paid vacation and holidays

Eurofins is a M/F, Disabled, and Veteran Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer.

Eurofins is a M/F, Disabled, and Veteran Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer.