Temporary R&D Scientist - Portland, OR

Osift; Portland (OR); Hybrid; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work environment

Exposure to food trends

Job summary

A leading natural foods company located in Portland, Oregon, is looking for an R&D Scientist for a 6-9 month temporary position. The role involves managing R&D projects, creating innovative food products, and collaborating with various teams to ensure quality and compliance with regulations. Candidates should have a Bachelor's degree in Food Science and 3-5 years of relevant experience. The position may offer a hybrid work environment.

Qualifications

• 3-5 years of R&D experience in consumer packaged goods.
• Experience in developing commercial food products.
• Proficiency in nutrition labeling software.

Responsibilities

• Manage R&D projects and ensure high quality.
• Create product formulas and conduct evaluations.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams.

Skills

Recipe development

Cooking and baking principles

Project management

Microsoft 365 proficiency

Sensory evaluation

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Food Science or related field

Tools

Genesis software

Job description

Overview

Company Overview: At Bob’s Red Mill, we inspire joy with wholesome foods. Since 1978, we have been leading the natural foods industry by providing our customers with good food that makes them feel great. Wholesome means ensuring our food is of the highest quality, empowering and supporting our diverse group of employee owners, respecting our planet, and bettering our communities. We believe that joy is for everyone.

Position Overview: This is a temporary position lasting 6 - 9 months with a target starting date of April 1st. The R&D Scientist plays a key role in the Innovation and R&D department by creating innovative and exciting new products, optimizing existing products in the BRM portfolio, and providing technical solutions for products and ingredients. This position will collaborate with Quality Assurance, Supply Chain and Production to conduct product testing and feedback as well as industrial trials, shelf-life tests, and sensory analysis to drive product development. This unique position calls for a combination of creativity, application of technical food science knowledge, and a willingness to proactively seek out and provide solutions.

Key Responsibilities

Essential Job Functions:

• Responsible for managing R&D projects, ensuring high quality is maintained, and meeting critical deadlines in the stage gate process.
• Creates project briefs to guide product innovation and renovation and presents to innovation team.
• Works with the Insights team to identify opportunities for new product formulas and adjustments to current product formulas.
• Creates product formulas, bench samples, and final formula reports for production.
• Works closely with regulatory team to ensure key claims are being met and product labels are in compliance with FDA regulations.
• Researches food trends, market data, ingredients, product, and packaging opportunities.
• Proactively provides key learnings on product concepts, flavors, ingredients, and regulatory issues within the team.
• Conducts comparisons with competitive products and summarizes key differentiation points.
• Creates evaluation templates, conducts sensory evaluation of new products, documents findings, and synthesizes changes to products.
• Utilizes Genesis to calculate preliminary nutritional information and provide nutrition facts panels and lists of ingredients for product formulas.
• Reformulates existing products to meet changing needs.
• Participates in cross-functional teams to ensure effective resolution of technical issues related to product innovation and renovation.
• Proactively identifies opportunities to improve R&D processes, templates, and other functions.
• Coordinates with external sensory partners to facilitate consumer feedback groups for new products.
• Collaborates with Quality Assurance for nutritional analysis and shelf-life testing for new products.
• Collaborates with Supply Chain department with sourcing and evaluating new and alternative products and ingredients.
• Manages projects to achieve key NPD process timelines and objectives, developing and establishing project scopes, and developing within the financial constraints of the project.
• Leads work with external partners to codevelop products, solve technical product issues, and test product shelf life.
• Works with Supply Chain to identify and select new vendors and maintains vendor relationships, including facilitating the vendor onboarding process.
• Travels occasionally to meet with vendors, suppliers, research partners, and other stakeholders to identify opportunities for new product development and portfolio expansion.
• Complies with all company policies and procedures and operates all equipment in a safe and food-safe manner.
• Complies with Bob’s Red Mill food safety policies and procedures including adherence to FDA regulations, Safe Quality Food (SQF) Standards, and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs).
• Responsible for reporting food safety and quality concerns to Supervisors and/or Department Manager.
• Performs other duties and tasks as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• None.
• This position reports to the Sr. Research & Development Manager

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Experienced in recipe and product development processes.
• High-level understanding of cooking and baking principles and techniques.
• Familiarity with measurement conversion to up- or down-scale a recipe.
• Ability to work effectively with a team using direct communication, respect, creativity, and emotional intelligence.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and under pressure.
• Ability to effectively lead and manage multiple projects while meeting critical deadlines.
• Ability to self-motivate and proactively make decisions.
• Ability to adapt to changes, problems, and shifting priorities.
• Ability to approach challenges and problems with a calm demeanor.
• Effective communication skills to collaborate with internal and external stakeholders.
• Highly skilled in using Microsoft 365.
• Skilled in using Genesis.
• Ability to travel as needed.
• Ability to read, understand, and communicate information in English.
• Demonstrates Respect, Teamwork, Accountability, and Determination.
• Ability to work in an environment where exposure to potential food allergens is or may be present.

Education and Experience:

• 3-5 years of research and development experience in a consumer packaged goods setting, AND
• Experience developing commercial food products, reverse-engineering formulations, and using nutrition labeling software, AND
• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science or related field; OR
• Any combination of education and additional years of experience that provides the necessary skills, knowledge, and ability to perform assigned tasks.

Physical Demands

• Position requires the ability to sit for up to approximately two hours at a time.
• May be required to occasionally lift items weighing up to 25 pounds.
• Infrequently may be required to lift items weighing up to 50 pounds.

Work Environment

• The primary work environment for this position is within an office setting and commercial kitchen setting. There are no adverse conditions associated with this position.
• May be required to travel up to 10% of the time.
• Hybrid work may be available as an option.
• Employees will be exposed to common food allergens.

Terms of Contract

This is a temporary 1099 contracted position and as such is not an employee of Bob's Red Mill. The individual selected will sign a temporary contract for role and need to submit a weekly invoice of the hours worked within the agreed upon parameters outlined in the contract. Any necessary equipment will be provided to the individual, including but not limited to a laptop, headphones, keyboard, mouse, etc.

Purpose: To inspire joy with wholesome foods.

Values: Respect, Teamwork, Accountability, Determination

About Bob's Red Mill

Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods produces more than 400 products, including a full line of certified gluten free products and an extensive line of certified organic products. With a wide variety of whole grain products, from flours and hot cereals to baking mixes and grains, employee-owned since 2010 Bob’s Red Mill has “whole grain foods for every meal of the day.”

Our success begins and ends with our people. We embrace diverse perspectives and value unique human experiences. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer that celebrates the diversity of the communities where we live and do business. Applicants for our positions are considered without regard to race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, religion, military or veteran status, or any other characteristics protected by law.