Confections Application Technologist

Job Title

Confections Application Technician – FLSA Status:
Exempt

Research & Development –

Reports to:

Manager, Flavor & Culinary Applications

This position is responsible for leading the development of innovative confectionery applications to support strategic customer initiatives and revenue growth. The role includes ownership of technical projects, customer-facing innovation support, and leadership in scale-up and commercialization efforts. The Confections Applications Technologist serves as the technical expert for confectionery product development, including gummies, nutraceutical gummies, licorice, chocolate, compound coatings, hard candy, soft candy, chews, and related confectionery applications.

• Lead the development of confectionery applications for strategic customer presentations, product demonstrations, and trade shows.
• Serve as a technical liaison to customers, consulting on formulation, ingredient functionality, processing considerations, labeling, and regulatory compliance.
• Develop and optimize formulations for gummies, nutraceutical gummies, licorice, chocolate, compound coatings, hard candy, soft candy, pectin systems, starch-molded confections, chews, and related confectionery products.
• Evaluate flavor performance, sweetness systems, masking technologies, texture systems, and color performance in confectionery applications.
• Develop innovative prototypes aligned with consumer trends, customer requests, and strategic business objectives.
• Ability to navigate and apply legislation (FDA, Kosher, Halal, DSHEA), regulatory/nutritional labeling.
• Lead pilot trials and provide on-site support for scale-up and commercialization activities.
• Responsible for physical/chemical stability checks to determine shelf life reliability or to ensure product potency and structure meets intended shelf life.
• Travel up to 25% domestically to support customer visits, product demonstrations, manufacturing trials, pilot plant activities, trade shows, and other business-related events.
• Evaluate and troubleshoot formulation, texture, processing, shelf-life, and flavor delivery challenges in confectionery systems.
• Effectively and efficiently execute assigned laboratory and customer development projects.
• Support product development and applications teams in tastings, information sharing, concept development, training, and sample creation as needed.
• Maintain detailed and accurate records of formulations, processing parameters, project activities, stability studies, and test results.
• Conduct sensory evaluations and participate in internal tasting panels to assess flavor, texture, and overall product performance.
• Collaborate with Flavor Development, Sales, Marketing, Regulatory, Quality Assurance, Operations, and Commercialization teams to support business objectives.
• Stay current on confectionery market trends, ingredients, technologies, consumer insights, and manufacturing advancements.
• Mentor laboratory technicians and junior technologists on confectionery formulation and processing techniques.
• Report any food safety or quality issues to appropriate personnel.
• Perform other duties as assigned by management.
• Uphold and demonstrate stated BFI values with respect to all job responsibilities.

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Confectionery Science, Culinary Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or related field required.
• Minimum 3 years of confectionery product development or applications experience required. Preferred 5+ years of confectionery product development, applications, or commercialization experience.
• Strong experience in gummies, nutraceutical gummies, licorice, chocolate, compound coatings, hard candy, soft candy, chews, and related confectionery systems.
• Preferred experience with gelatin gummies, pectin gummies, starch-molded products, sugar‑free confectionery systems, and functional confectionery products.
• Preferred experience working with and applying active ingredients commonly used in nutraceutical products, including vitamins, minerals, botanicals, adaptogens, caffeine, and other functional ingredients preferred.
• Experience…