Lab Technician

Job Title:

Lab Technician

Job Description

This role focuses on qualifying and approving new food ingredients to support new product launches while ensuring strict compliance with food regulations, labeling laws, food safety requirements, and customer standards. The lab technician maintains and updates ingredient master data and databases, leads ingredient approval activities, and collaborates closely with cross-functional teams to enable safe, consistent, and innovative food products.

Responsibilities

+ Qualify and approve new food ingredients to support new product launches and ensure they meet defined quality and safety criteria.

+ Maintain, update, and accurately manage ingredient master data and ingredient databases to support reliable product development and production processes.

+ Review ingredient specifications and technical documentation to verify accuracy, completeness, and alignment with internal and external requirements.

+ Assess and ensure regulatory compliance of ingredients, including food regulations, labeling laws, food safety requirements, and customer-specific standards.

+ Coordinate ingredient lifecycle management, including introduction, updates, and phase-out of ingredients, and oversee related change control processes.

+ Collaborate closely with Research and Development, Quality, Procurement, Operations, and Portfolio teams to align ingredient decisions with business and product needs.

+ Lead ingredient approval meetings, present findings and recommendations, and communicate status updates to relevant stakeholders in a clear and timely manner.

+ Create, revise, and maintain standard operating procedures, work instructions, and other controlled documentation related to ingredient testing and approval.

+ Track, analyze, and report ingredient approval metrics and master data performance indicators to support continuous improvement.

+ Perform laboratory testing, including pH measurements, viscosity testing, and sample preparation, to evaluate ingredient performance and suitability for use in food products.

Essential Skills

+ Hands-on lab testing experience, including pH measurement, viscosity testing, and sample preparation in a food laboratory environment.

+ Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Nutrition, Food Business, or a closely related field.

+ Knowledge of food regulations, labeling laws, and food safety requirements applicable to food ingredients.

+ Experience working with ingredient specifications, technical documentation, and regulatory compliance requirements.

+ Ability to maintain and manage ingredient master data and ingredient databases with strong attention to detail.

+ Strong organizational skills to coordinate ingredient lifecycle management and change control processes.

+ Effective communication skills to lead ingredient approval meetings and provide clear status updates to cross-functional teams.

+ Proficiency in creating and revising standard operating procedures, work instructions, and controlled documentation.

+ Capability to track and report metrics related to ingredient approval and master data for monitoring and improvement.

+ Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with R&D, Quality, Procurement, Operations, and Portfolio teams.

Additional

Skills & Qualifications

+  coursework in food quality assurance or related disciplines.

+ Familiarity with food industry standards and customer-specific requirements for ingredients.

+ Experience supporting new product launches in a food manufacturing or food technology environment.

+ Comfort working with databases or digital systems for managing ingredient information and documentation.

+ Strong analytical mindset and problem-solving skills for evaluating ingredient performance and compliance.

+ Interest in contributing to healthy and delicious food solutions in a rapidly growing segment of the food industry.

Work Environment

This position operates in a laboratory and office environment within a food industry setting. You will regularly perform hands-on lab work, including pH and viscosity testing and sample preparation, using standard laboratory equipment and following documented procedures. The role involves frequent collaboration with cross-functional teams such as R&D, Quality, Procurement, Operations, and Portfolio, requiring clear communication and coordination. The organization is a global leader in delivering healthy and delicious fruit solutions in one of the fastest growing segments of the food industry, offering a professional environment focused on quality, safety, and innovation.

Employees have access to health, dental, and vision benefits. Working hours typically follow standard business schedules, with documentation and data management tasks performed in a structured, process-driven setting that emphasizes compliance and continuous improvement

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Brecksville, OH.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $22.00 - $22.00/hr.

Eligibility requirements apply to some…