Summary:

We’re looking for a customer-focused and result-driven food scientist to join our food science and culinary team. Responsible for key accounts/national accounts R&D projects across all product categories. Coordinates, leads the product innovation process end-to-end for key accounts, working tightly with the culinary team. Responsible for creating compelling customer-specific solutions that leverage our core capabilities. Often operates as a project lead, supported by other R&D team members.  Collaborates with customers and project stakeholders, promoting clear communication and process, creating clear product development SCOPE to support ideations. Participates in the development and communication of Trident R&D leadership's strategy.

Essential Functions:

• Coordinate, lead the product innovation process end-to-end for key accounts and responsible for creating compelling customer-specific solutions that leverage our core capabilities.
• Has a direct connection to the key accounts’ innovation events, working tightly with chefs and core R&D team.
• Owns key accounts ideation calendar in all domestic R&D locations and informs team members of upcoming events and expectations.
• Manages and develops concept prototypes for customer presentations. Supports the culinary team in application planning and creating concepts, taking into account marketing trends.
• Ensures that all planned events are organized and executed at the highest standard of excellence.
• Collaborates with ingredient suppliers on new designs for R&D driven product categories in respect to key accounts
• Supports other R&D members on innovation and process & product improvement projects.
• Participates in cross-functional team projects when assigned.
• Participates from time to time in offsite events: i.e. teambuilding; customer events and dinners; sales meetings and social events.
• Ensures attention for all operational standards and maintenance of physical facility building management. Coordinates the outside support and contracted maintenance support in collaboration with the R&D management team.
• Additionally, acts as an R&D operation lead when required, supporting the team with receiving/shipments and other similar assigned responsibilities.
• Creates clear personal business goals. Sets calendar events, schedules and conducts regular follow-up discussions. Tracks industry trends, innovations, new products market, relevant legislation, and competitor activities.
• Schedules and supports on-site event calendar in collaboration with the culinary team.

Product Development:

• Key accounts ideations: creates ideation/innovation work plan, execution and follow-up.
• Initiates produces and supplies existing or prototype product samples designed to meet target account needs.
• Drafts specifications on prototype products prepared for target customer sampling.
• Mentors other less experienced team members in the related product category.
• Participates and provides guidance in benchtop research and evaluation of new ingredients and product formulations, planning lab experiments, shelf-life testing and production trials.
• Guides preparation and shipments of hand samples of new products for internal and external sampling/ evaluation.

Communication and Organization:

• Hands-on and can-do mindset plus demonstrated strong leadership potential to lead a focused project team of R&D associates and other cross-functional partners.
• Good organizing, collaboration and presentation skills.
• Collaborates with representatives from all departments within existing and potential accounts to assess requirements and collect information necessary in designing and making product recommendations.
• Provides clear communication of scheduled tasks, priorities and project status through project planning and weekly work plan summary to upper management. Provides adequate follow-up regarding low-priority projects so the platform is not lost over time.
• Has a strong understanding of corporate anti-trust practices, Trident’s proprietary practices, and non-disclosure agreements with supplier partners.
• Maintains and manages paper files and computer records for all projects in the appropriate location. Keeps personal space and ingredient storage clean and organized. 
• Ensures regular freezer clean-up and track of frozen products.

Education:

• Food science or closely related degree
• Job experience in food manufacturing and R&D.
• Min 5 years of experience working with national accounts customers and/or food service customers

Special Training/Skills:

• General understanding of food laws and regulations.
• Speak in public and interact at a technical level with internal and external customers and industry peers.
• Proficient in MS Office, PowerPoint, Database Management and other computer applications to access information, analyze data and solve problems.