Sr. Scientist, R&D

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Job description

Business Unit Description:
Here's what all the hype is about: Premier Nutrition Company (PNC) is one of the fastest-growing companies in the convenient nutrition space showing clear leadership in the category of protein shakes and protein powders. We make the brands Premier Protein, Dymatize, and PowerBar, which is sold internationally, and we are part of our holding company, BellRing Brands (NYSE: BRBR).

We have a simple, yet powerful, formula for our success, which we've been nailing for over 15 years. We start off with an organization powered by our company purpose-Changing Lives with Good Energy. Then our purpose-driven people are given the support and autonomy to develop and grow. Next, we are super-intentional about designing a culture where everyone feels like they truly connect and belong, which is one of our five company core values. Purpose-driven, connected employees who are consistently mastering new skills deliver amazing business results. And winning companies with amazing people and thriving cultures attract and retain top talent, so the cycle becomes self-reinforcing or what we call our regenerative culture.

We don't mind sharing our formula since, as people who we believe in the power of changing lives with good energy, we think the world would be a better place if more workplaces treated adults like adults and gave them the platform to do the best work of their lives-alongside some truly amazing colleagues. Why don't more companies do this? It takes deep-in-your-bones conviction to your people, products, and purpose to pull it off. It also takes resisting the urge to try to control people, and instead trusting them to make the right decisions. The results of our vibrant culture speaks for themselves: We were certified as a Great Place to Work for the 8th year-running in 2024. And we currently rank on Fortune Magazine's Best Workplaces in our category, and in the top 12 for each of the last 5 years.

We have a long list of ways we take care of our people, but here are some crowd-pleasers that our employees often say they love most: Year-round day Fridays, in-office massages, free lunches & snacks, dogs in the office, month-long cultural and diversity celebrations, monthly over-the-top in-office events like bring your kids to work day, 6% 401k match after 1 year, as-needed sick leave, generous paid family leave regardless of gender, all positions bonus-eligible, company-wide volunteer days, company-matched charitable donations, no employee handbook, no dress code, coaching conversations instead of performance reviews, walking meetings, free exercise classes, and company-paid gym membership for Emeryville-based employees.

PNC seeks individuals who will flourish in this type of work environment and will add to our culture and help build this high-growth company for the next phase in our amazing journey. Does this sound like you? Then read on

Responsibilities:
The Role:

Responsible for leading development of new products, complex projects and/or revitalizing core products over a broad portfolio- mainly Ready-To-Drink (RTD) format and Ready-To-Mix (RTM) formats, either as food or as supplements.

Candidate has demonstrated ability and is well versed in applying scientific method and logic to the following: experimental design, formulation, bench and plant scale testing, and good knowledge of manufacturing process. Responsible for clearly analyzing data and knowledge to identify appropriate workstreams, with milestones, timing and deliverables for product development, aligned with business criteria.

In addition to the product development/technical skills background, the candidate shall show capabilities in technical project management with global (import/export) experience.

This position requires the ability to lead and move forward multiple projects at the same time that are at different stages of the development cycle and that are different types of development projects. Due to the cross functional nature of the role, good communication, collaboration, influencing skills, stakeholder management, experience working closely with Regulatory function are important to put you on a pathway to success.

This position requires ability to apply principles of food science to solve industry relevant issues and then explain data and scientific principles to business functions.

The position will be based out of our 60,000 sq. foot, modern Emeryville, California office. WE ARE A CULTURE OF PERSONAL CONNECTON, WHICH IS WHY WE'VE CHOSEN A PERMANENT HYBRID WORK ENVIRONMENT WITH NORMS THAT EQUATE TO 2-3 DAYS MID-WEEK IN THE OFFICE FOR EMPLOYEES BASED IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.

The expected pay scale this role is $130k to $140k, which may vary based on relevant experience, qualifications, geographic area (if applicable), and internal equity for the role.

You're excited about this opportunity because your time will be filled with

Product development: 50-80%

Provide and exercise technical expertise through the development of solutions for new and novel ingredients, product formulations, and undertaking technical and manufacturing challenges.

Responsible for execution of all assigned projects and alignment with project scope, brief, processes, business standards and practices. Responsible for product compliance (food safety, ingredient usage, NLEA information, product claims) against internal and external standards (FDA, USDA, and third-party certification) through collaboration with regulatory, QA, marketing, and other parties.

Ability to work efficiently with third party development parties and/or suppliers to develop formulations within tight timelines.

Ensure successful scale-up to commercial production through cross functional collaboration with operations, QA, marketing and external co-manufacturing partners by aligning on process capabilities and finished product specifications.

Lead and provide technical updates on a variety of R&D projects, ensuring alignment throughout the course of project lifecycles. Capture learnings to generate IP (if relevant)

Lead or support product development exploration (Building Blocks) and opportunities with new, novel ingredients or applications.

Ability to reapply current formulations to new markets ensuring compliance against internal and external standards.

Technical Services Support: 20-50% of time

Responsible for assigned technical services projects for current products- alternate sourcing for ingredients, provide formulation solutions for cost control/reduction and other continuous improvement initiatives.

Provide and/or obtain technical expertise to solve problems on ingredients, formulations, processing, sensory and/or consumer testing.

Identifies area for continuous improvement and assists in developing and implementing action plans.

Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction when needed.

Qualifications:
QUALIFICATIONS:

Education / Experience:

BS in Food Science, Food Chemistry, Food Engineering or similar disciplines AND 7+ years of experience in the Food industry (CPG) within Food Product Development (dairy protein-based or RTD products).

MS in Food Science, Food Chemistry, Food Engineering or similar disciplines AND 0 - 5+ years of experience in the Food industry (CPG) within Food Product Development (dairy protein-based or RTD products).

Key Skills:

Critical thinking ability to explain complex technical subject matters to non-technical personnel.

Strong technical curiosity and knowledge to solve complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement suitable solutions.

Meticulous attention to detail, particularly about health, safety and hygiene

Being a confident and independent worker with great communication skills

Strong collaborative skills and ability to work well in teams

Possess curiosity, creativity and alternative thinking to develop new innovative solutions

So, if after reading through this long list you're thinking-I'm not sure I meet 100% of these requirements, should I still apply? YES-if you embody a growth mindset, see challenges as opportunities to develop, and find innovative ways to get the real work that matters done, you sound like our kind of candidate!

Select 5 Key Capabilities & Traits Important to Add to and Diversify your Current Team:

Emotional intelligence

Drive and own results

Embody a strategic mindset

Bring people along

Creativity, exploration, & innovativeness

You will thrive here and may just do the best work of your life if

You want to be an integral part of our R&I journey towards product mastery while building a R&I environment of experimentation and knowledge sharing

You can be flexible in your approach to formulation and R&I processes and abandon past practices if they don't make sense or would lead to a poor outcome

You are comfortable being natural, casual, open, and even a bit playful at work

You don't have a big ego and hate siloed thinking

You like to get sh t, I mean-stuff done

You can be friendly, vulnerable, and self-deprecating in one moment, and deal with a challenging, delicate technical matter as a professional in the next

You can do periods of focused, deep work on projects that drive the needle

This may not be your ideal next career move if

You like a lot of structure, rules, and uniformity

You like hierarchy, and clear definitions of roles and scope of work
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