Laboratory Technician, Process R&D

International Flavors and Fragrances; Madison (WI); On-site; USD 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in food ingredients seeks a Laboratory Technician for their Process R&D team. The role involves supporting process development, troubleshooting, and data management, alongside routine lab tasks. Candidates should have a degree in microbiology or related fields and possess strong communication skills.

Qualifications

• Industry experience in microbiology or related field.
• Ability to independently design and report scientific experiments.

Responsibilities

• Perform routine lab tasks including media preparation and fermentation setup.
• Analyze culture performance and troubleshoot product deviations.
• Document results in lab notebooks and spreadsheets.

Skills

Communication

Organizational Skills

Interpersonal Skills

Education

Associate's or Bachelor's Degree in microbiology

Degree in bioprocess, biotechnology, biochemistry, chemical/process engineering

Tools

Microsoft Office

Statistical Software

Six Sigma Greenbelt

Job description

Job Summary

The IFF Nutrition & Biosciences plant located in Madison, Wisconsin, USA, manufactures a variety of food products and ingredients used in everyday food items, many of them found in local grocery stores. These include starter cultures for cheese, yogurt, buttermilk, sour cream; probiotic cultures for health benefits; and other food ingredients such as antioxidants and enzymes used in cheese manufacturing.

We are seeking a Laboratory Technician, Process R&D to join our Process R&D Probiotics, Cultures, Food Protection Team. The successful candidate will support process development at the Madison and Rochester sites, including troubleshooting, process improvements, transfers, and data management. The role emphasizes routine laboratory tasks alongside new product strain development, scale-up, yield improvement, performance enhancement, and cost reduction.

Essential Functions

• Perform routine lab tasks and experiments, including media preparation, microbiology, fermentation setup, microscopic evaluation, harvesting, downstream processing, freeze dryer operation, water activity measurement, and cell plating.
• Support lab-scale development of cost-effective manufacturing conditions affecting microbial strain yield, stability, quality, and activity.
• Maintain data sets and laboratory batch records.
• Analyze culture performance statistically and communicate trends.
• Investigate product deviations and troubleshoot issues.
• Design, conduct, analyze, and report experiments.
• Coordinate pilot-scale manufacturing with operators and team members, including reporting results.
• Monitor process data and product quality post-industrialization, troubleshoot problems, and support process improvements.
• Assist in transferring products and processes between sites and from R&D to production, collaborating with various teams.
• Serve as a technical resource, providing input on product, process, and quality issues, and participate in problem-solving efforts.
• Document results meticulously in lab notebooks and spreadsheets, and communicate findings effectively.
• Support occasional off-hour work, including weekends.

Qualifications

• Associate's or Bachelor's Degree in microbiology, bioprocess, biotechnology, biochemistry, chemical/process engineering, or related field, with industry experience.
• Fundamental knowledge of lactic acid bacteria physiology, freeze-drying, microbial fermentation, and process equipment (preferred).
• Strong communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite.
• Ability to independently design, execute, and report scientific experiments.
• Familiarity with project management, Six Sigma Greenbelt tools, and data/statistical software.

At IFF, we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace. We value the unique contributions of each individual and strive to foster an environment where everyone can bring their authentic self to work.

Learn more about our commitment to diversity at IFF.com/careers/workplace-diversity-and-inclusion.