Senior Research & Development Food Scientist at Judge Group

Key Responsibilities:

• Product Development: Own the development, formulation, and production of new bakery products, ensuring they meet company standards for quality, taste, and functionality.
• Product Testing and Scale-Up: Plan, execute, and oversee plant trials to evaluate the viability and scalability of new products. Collaborate with manufacturing teams to address and resolve any issues that arise during trials, and ensure a smooth transition from pilot to full-scale production.
• Documentation and Compliance: Prepare and maintain comprehensive product documentation, including vendor briefs, plant trial briefs, finished product specifications, ingredient lists, and Bills of Materials (BOMs). Ensure all documentation is accurate, up-to-date, and meets regulatory and quality standards.
• Ingredient Sourcing and Evaluation: Research new product ingredients and suppliers to source high-quality materials. Conduct ingredient evaluations and quality assessments.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with Marketing, Quality Assurance, Purchasing/Inventory, and other departments to ensure alignment and support for new product initiatives.
• Project Management: Effectively communicate with stakeholders, provide project updates, and resolve issues. Manage multiple product development projects simultaneously, ensuring timelines and milestones are met. Utilize project management tools to track progress and coordinate activities.

Required Skills and Experience:

• Allergen Handling: Ability to work safely with various bakery allergens.
• Extensive Bakery Expertise: Minimum of 5 years of experience in bakery research and development, including practical experience as a pastry chef/baker in large-scale bakery manufacturing.
• Technical Proficiency: Demonstrated success in developing laminated dough (e.g., croissants) and batter-based products for both bakery service and in-store bakery markets.
• Industry Certification: AIB certification in Baking.
• Formulation and Processing Knowledge: Strong understanding of bakery formulation, ingredient functionality, and bakery processing techniques.
• Project Management: Excellent project management skills, capable of handling multiple projects simultaneously and meeting deadlines.
• Analytical and Problem-Solving: Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities with a keen eye for detail.
• Communication and Collaboration: Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively across teams and departments.
• Technical Proficiency: Proficiency in Microsoft Office and familiarity with product development software and tools.