Product Development Scientist - Rapid Prototyping
Ferrara Pan Candy Co., Inc.

Job Info

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Job Location: Chicago

Want to make an impact?

The Product Development Scientist - Rapid Prototyping will be responsible for product development on front-end innovation projects including, but not limited to, participating in ideations, developing new products, and thinking creatively to solve problems. They should have a passion for innovation, creativity, and generating new ideas. This individual will have a direct impact on Ferrara's Innovation Pipeline through bringing ideas to life in the form of edible prototypes across a variety of brands and candy forms.

Ways you will make a difference

• Leads the technical development plan for various innovation projects with moderately to highly ambiguous scope with the support of Manager.
• Consistently brings a range of concepts to life through prototypes for early concept development of fuzzy front-end innovation.
• Creatively uses a variety of forms of inspiration (e.g. competitive landscaping, category consumer insight, adjacent category innovation, etc.) and translates consumer insights and brand strategy into gold standard prototypes for identification of new innovation projects.
• Develops new product formulas on a bench scale with consideration for full scale feasibility.
• Actively participates in ideations and collaborative brainstorming sessions by staying informed on new trends and thinking of unique and interesting ideas across the product range.
• Has a strong passion for creativity and innovation within a commercially driven environment.
• Collaborates with R&D, Industrial Design, and Process Engineering staff to problem solve and suggest innovative solutions.
• Consistently utilizes technically sound methodology and problem-solving tools to design experiments and test new ideas.
• Observes, evaluates, and concisely and accurately documents experimental data and results.
• Understands roles of cross-functional stakeholders and engages them where appropriate.
• Collaborate with the Manager weekly to ensure full alignment on project initiatives, plans and next steps.
• Spends majority of time on-site in Ferrara's Innovation Lab creating new prototypes (60-100% of the time).
• Travels, both domestically and internationally (up to 10% of job).
• Ensures adherence to all company policies and procedures.
• Understands and demonstrates the Company's core values.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
  

Skills that will make you successful

• Basic knowledge of food science, food chemistry, and ingredient functionality with ability to think creatively and apply that understanding in new ways for the purposes of innovation prototyping
• Basic knowledge of the product development process and ability to develop commercially successful food products
• Creative thinker with a passion for bringing concepts to life through gold standard prototype development based on innovation input inspiration (e.g. brand strategy, competitive product, consumer insights, etc.)
• Passion for front-end/early innovation and product development
• Strong technical competencies with attention to detail and ability to problem solve
• Self-starter/self-motivated with a drive for results
• Efficient at planning with experience working under tight timelines
• Naturally blend in with fast paced product development
• Great understanding/appreciation of the broader business environment with ability to apply technical and commercial knowledge during project execution
• Very strong interpersonal skills with ability to communicate, influence, and build effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders from different levels, backgrounds, and cultures
• Ability to explain complex technical issues / solutions to a non-technical audience
• Enjoys working in results oriented, collaborative team environment
• Comfortable operating lab scale equipment and spending majority of time on-site in a lab environment (60-100% of the time)
• Able to travel up to 10%, domestically and internationally
  

Experiences that will support your success

• B.S. Food Science or related field required. M.S. or Ph.D. in Food Science or related field preferred.
• 2-5 years of relevant work experience in product development in the food industry
• Experience in rapid prototyping and/or fuzzy front-end development of prototypes preferred
• Experience in confections, culinary, or pastry preferred
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills (bilingual if possible: Spanish preferred).
• Strong mathematical skills.
• Strong computer skills - including proficiency with the Microsoft Office suite and SAP.
  

What We Offer

At Ferrara, we're proud to support our employees with comprehensive benefits that enhance health, financial wellness, and include paid time off (PTO). Eligible employees may also receive an annual bonus based on company performance. Learn more about our benefits here.

Compensation

The salary range for this position is $69,000 - $96,000 annually.

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