Sensory Scientist

CareersInFood.com; Carteret (NJ); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent food industry company in Carteret, NJ is looking for a Sensory Senior Scientist to lead sensory testing within R&D. The ideal candidate will have at least 5 years of experience in sensory science, proficiency in relevant sensory software, and strong communication skills. Responsibilities include managing the sensory department, conducting tests, and training panelists. This role demands independence and the ability to adapt to fast-paced environments, contributing to the company's innovative product development efforts.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years experience in sensory science, ideally in food or flavor industries.
• Ability to conduct sensory testing including discrimination and hedonic tests.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for technical presentations.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage the sensory department within R&D.
• Conduct and summarize formal sensory testing for new product developments.
• Recruit and train panelists for sensory evaluations.

Skills

Sensory science expertise

Food science knowledge

Proficiency in sensory software

Project management experience

Data interpretation skills

Education

Degree in Food Science or related field

Tools

SIMS

Compusense

Minitab

Job description

The Sensory Senior Scientist will be responsible for developing and managing a sensory department within the R&D team, supporting all the sensory needs of our creation and application teams and beyond. This role will be interactive, provide expertise, and apply hands-on execution of sensory tests to support the everyday creation, development, applications initiatives, and longer-term projects within these sectors. It will also be a support function of the flavor library, which is an essential tool to serve our customers with fast sample selections and shipments.

This role will be instrumental in making data connections and visualizations to provide decisive data and results to guide creation, applications, customers briefs, and drive business growth.

This role will serve as the sensory expert who will be responsible for expanding our sensory department’s capabilities which include:

• Profiling of flavors, extracts, concentrates and tasting solutions and finished applications.
• Working with application scientists and flavorists to create, conduct, and summarize formal sensory testing (discrimination testing, hedonic testing, and descriptive analysis).
• Creating and implementing ballots for new product development and matching evaluations to be used for bench reviews.
• Recruiting and training panelists for basic tastes and various flavor tonalities (and also creating and updating Virginia Dare’s lexicons).
• Shelf-life and stability sensory testing of flavors, extracts, and applications.
• Support the flavor librarian with in-house, flavor library selections.

Skills & Experience Requirements

• Degree in Food Science, Food Chemistry, Sensory Science, or a related field.
• At least 5 years of experience in sensory science, preferably within the food or flavor/ingredient industries.
• Proficiency in sensory software ie. SIMS, Compusense, Fizz. Statistical software is a plus (Minitab, JMP, XLSTAT, SPSS).
• Is a team player with experience in project management and cross-functional collaboration.
• Demonstrates willingness and enthusiasm to conduct benchtop and formal sensory testing, train panels, and guide others on sensory benchtop testing.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills including technical writing, and presentation skills.
• Strong data interpretation and verbal skills for presentations to key stakeholders.
• Ability to influence and develop robust testing strategies within cross-functional teams.
• Has the ability to multi-task and adjust to changing priorities based on business needs.
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment.The ideal candidate will be a pro-active, energetic, and creative problem-solver