Food Technologist /Senior Designer / Food Scientist - Bakery, Bars, Cereal, Confection

IFF has an exciting opportunity as a Senior Designer/ Senior Food Technologist at our Philadelphia / TastePoint location. A Senior Designer exhibits independent application and project planning ability, seamlessly integrating creativity, innovation, and presentation skills to provide best-in-class support to IFF clients. The Senior Designer displays strong finished product knowledge with excellent problem-solving abilities.

In this role, the Senior Designer works with established internal and external customer networks to share and leverage products and techniques in the associated category. They act as a leader and collaborator to contribute to the regional and global technical strategic projects and innovation programs, working independently on tasks with responsibility for high value projects.

The essential functions of this position include but are not limited to the following:

Project Management

• Proven time and project management skills.
• Partners with production and quality departments to complete scale-up trials and support QA/QC with troubleshooting when necessary.
• Independently navigates projects from start to finish and acts as a project leader in teams.
• High-level knowledge of formula ingredients, raw materials, and their function.
• Independently manages time and projects for assigned tasks.
• Develops work plans to manage work for projects.
• Provide technical guidance on unusual or complex problems.
• Develops finished product formulations incorporating IFF technologies and meeting industrial standards, and country-specific and client requirements (profile, legal, cost, and stability requirements).
• Demonstrates consistent significant commercial success year after year.

Innovation & Technology

• Creates and executes training programs for technical and commercial staff.
• Anticipates, investigates, and resolves problems related to raw materials, solutions, finished prototypes, and initial scale-up procedures.
• Proactive in using new ingredients, advancing technology, and utilizing IFF technology.
• Supports local and regional C&D and Category Growth Initiatives under the direction of the manager.
• Successfully demonstrates new technology in appropriate projects.
• Demonstrates an understanding of IFF Innovation Programs and promotes them within the organization.
• May act as local Innovation subject matter expert.
• Clear understanding and execution of IFF Innovation processes.
• Understands ingredient functionality and flavor performance in different finished products and incorporates technology appropriately.

Customer Intimacy & Technical Partnership

• Strong understanding, communication, and contribution to IFF business strategy at a local, regional, and global level.
• Understands and communicates customer business strategy, brands, consumer preferences, and market trends.
• Provide technical services to customers as needed (plant trials, troubleshooting, and training).
• Visits customers and presents technical information and taste and texture design concepts.
• Develops strong relationships with aligned customers and related categories.
• Assist customers by participating in in-house visits, answering technical questions, and conducting seminars and presentations as assigned.
• Provides total solutions utilizing creative problem-solving skills.
• Strong creativity, innovation, and presentation skills.
• A valued partner with strategic customers and related categories.

Leadership

• Shows a positive attitude and passion.
• Mentors Trainees and more junior Designers.
• Demonstrates ability to lead a cross-functional team.
• Inspires and builds confidence in others to achieve targets.
• Demonstrates being a team player, a leader, and/or collaborator in high-value projects.

Experience (Min Requirement)

• Minimum 10 years of working experience in the industrial food, ingredient, or flavor industry plus a minimum of 5 years in the specific field of expertise.
• 2-3 years experience as a leader in interdepartmental cross-functional team roles

Academic Qualifications/Background

• The minimum entry level is a University/College Degree in Food Science and Technology or related disciplines (such as Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Biology).
• Preferred Master's Degree and/or PhD in a related area.

Communication

• Excellent communication (verbal and written), organizational, and interpersonal skills are necessary.

Travel

• Travel may be required up to 20% of the time.

Workplace

• This position is considered an Anchor and requires working in the lab/pilot plant for 5 days/week.

We are a global leader in taste, scent, and nutrition, offering our customers a broader range of natural solutions and accelerating our growth strategy. At IFF, we believe that your uniqueness unleashes our potential. We value the diverse mosaic of the ethnicity, national origin, race, age, sex, or veteran status. We strive for an inclusive workplace that allows each of our colleagues to bring their authentic self to work regardless of their religion, gender identity & expression, sexual orientation, or disability.

Visit IFF.com/careers/workplace-diversity-and-inclusion to learn more