Corporate Food Scientist

Primary Purpose of Job:

This position is responsible for the back-end development of menu items for QT ensuring go-to-market readiness that work within QT's operational guardrails. Supports the Front-End Development team and Food Innovation & Product Development Manager in product development and production scale, along with daily execution of R&D related activities (NPD/PLM). Works directly with suppliers to commercialize menu items for QT brand. Evaluates current and alternative food ingredients, creates product recipes and leads equipment R&D to ensure QT meets customer needs and requirements.

Provides periodical assistance to QA and Operations team.

Major functions for this position

• Responsible for back end development testing and implementation of menu items. (40%)

• • a. Lead Product &/or Platform Concepts through the final Develop. Validate testing and Implement Stages of the New Product Development process.
  • b. Validate New Supplier by evaluating product capabilities. This may include travel to supplier to evaluate production runs.
  • c. Validate Operational Process and capabilities through experiments, analyze, and interpret data to make sound food service operational recommendations.
  • d. Develop a protocol to establish raw goods/material specifications for each menu item and key formulations for specific menu items manufactured for QT.
    • i. Create & perform periodic testing to insure specifications and key formulations are adhered to by CSM and Supplier(s) to QT Kitchens.
    • ii. Process Improvement by monitoring product/platforms, inspecting procedures/processes used in all aspects of development and production to identify opportunities and efficiencies.
    • iii. Use Root Cause Analysis to understand problems, possible causes and solutions against product development projects along with Store Employee, DOMA and Consumer complaints to future proof the brand.
  • e. Report all work and pertinent information through New Product Development (NPD) and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system and serve as relief for Documents Control Coordinator.

• Manage multiple projects and priorities in a rapidly changing environment. (5%)

• Responsible for back end Equipment Engineering development and implementation for QT Food service programs to include QT Kitchens and/or Self-Serve and may include QTK Manufacturing Equipment Testing. (30%)

• • a. Interface with supporting teams to create testing parameters to achieve goals.
  • b. Manage lab equipment and schedule testing.
  • c. Calibrate and maintain test equipment.
  • d. Execute equipment validation and various studies as directed by QT Food Innovation & Product Development Manager.
  • e. Run QT & QTK equipment - document performance and test findings.
  • f. Experimental design and data acquisition.
  • g. Support product demonstrations.
  • h. Collect and analyze equipment data and communicate to QT Internal Teams (Food Innovation & Product Development Manager, CSM, Operations, FS, Vice President of Sales, QA. This could also include QTK Regional Managers & QTK Manager).
  • i. Provide field support for FS & Operations in product and processing trials.
  • j. Analyze operational data and provide recommendations.
  • k. Work with Operations to collect labor/process data and build labor standards through Trouble Shooting Guides and Time & Motion Studies.
  • l. Determine equipment capacities.
  • m. Evaluate and provides human factor (ergonomic) recommendations.

• Sensory Testing - Define, analyze, and interpret data to make sound recommendations along with assisting in the creation of Sensory Test Brief(s) and serve as a Back-Up for Sensory experiments when needed. (10%)

• Explore and recommend new methods/techniques/technologies for sensory/consumer research. Advise best practices to Food Innovation & Product Development Manager. (5%)

• Innovate and/or adapt best practices from competition, vendors, new product developments, etc., and recommend to Food Innovation & Product Development Manager and Food Team/Sales staff. (10%)

a. Be aware of industry developments with focus on food science, sensory science R&D.

b. Attend courses, seminars and trade shows.

c. Use suppliers as a resource.

d. Be aware of and utilize new technology for new sales and…