Food Scientist

The National Food Lab is a fast-growing company with a vision to be the destination for tailored solutions for the food industry – beginning to end. Our mission is to provide services that help food, beverage, and supplement companies deliver safe, healthy and successful products. We seek to make a positive impact in the advancement of food safety, quality and nutrition, fulfilling our corporate promise – to improve health and improve lives.

The National Food Lab’s best-in-class consumer and sensory research capabilities employ a variety of quantitative and qualitative consumer and sensory research techniques to help our clients make products consumers love. We help our clients:

• Develop new product ideas
• Re-energize a well-established product
• Assess product-concept fit or packaging effectiveness
• Understand the product, brand and category competitive landscapes
• Present objective results to management

A Food Scientist is well versed in all phases of the food product development cycle and can work independently to develop a new product from conception through plant scale‑up.
May supervise the work of junior professionals such as Technicians, Interns and On‑Call staff.

• Demonstrates and promotes the company vision.
• Regular attendance and punctuality
• Applies GMP/GLP in all areas of responsibility, as appropriate.
• Plans and designs specific activities required by the projects and distributes activities to Laboratory Technologist or Intern based on skill sets.
• Executes experimental, analytical, and sensory work on both bench and pilot scale.
• Develops analytical methods and coordinates nutritional and component analysis.
• Writes reports, formulas, data and communication that is thorough and ready for the client with little or no editing required by supervisor.
• Ensures all samples are prepared with good GMP’s that are well labeled and of high quality.
• Ensures lab notebook maintenance SOP is followed.
• Seeks out information/facilities to get the job completed.
• Collaborates with internal and external resources (suppliers, consultants, professors, service providers and other third‑party people) to find solutions.
• Ensures appropriate and timely communication of key information among client, team, and supervisor.
• Establishes and maintains professional rapport with client.
• Adds insight and value to discussions, understanding client needs.
• Organizes and participates in meetings and conference calls.
• Reads and responds to emails, phone calls in a timely manner.
• Assists team members to carry out such communication duties as necessary.
• Independently coordinates pilot and plant trials develops trial plans and protocols, serves as liaison between the manufacturing plant, client, and development laboratory for trial.
• Independently drafts, structures, and executes project plans. Submits to supervisor for review. Identifies appropriate phases and deliverables and determines resource needs.
• Writes pilot and plant trial reports.
• Maintains documentation; organizes computer and hard copy files and records in lab notebook for corporate records and sharing.
• Keeps updated and educated on relevant news, literature, and findings in the industry.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.
• Travels to various NFL and client locations to support studies and projects.
• Travels to technical conferences to represent The NFL.
• Conducts all activities in a safe and efficient manner.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Will be exposed to potential food allergens.
• Required to handle and evaluate all types of foods and ingredients derived from plants, animals and synthetically manufactured.

To perform this job successfully
, the individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements below are representative of the knowledge, skill or ability required.

• PhD degree from an IFT accredited food science program, or equivalent combination of education and experience

• Non‑PhD candidates would have a minimum of 2 years practical experience in product or process development

A salaried range for this position is between $70,000‑$75,000