Principal Bakery Scientist

Your Opportunity as Bakery Science Principal Engineer (TSO)

In this role you will use your understanding of food science and bakery science to provide technical expertise to SBS operations. The individual will develop relationships with the technical resources in manufacturing plants, and cross-functional partners to deliver business goals. This role will collaborate with plants, project managers and all cross-functional teams to prioritize opportunities and align resources to the highest-potential projects. These projects will include quality improvements, optimization efforts, formulation cost savings and standardization. As the food science technical expert on the SBS TSO team, you will be the voice for operations, capital engineering, and a liaison to R&D for food science and formulation topics. The role will own the technical training program which provides SBS specific food science/formulation training to operations and the broader SBS technical community.  Finally, this role will represent operations at Technical Readiness and Gate Review meetings for the Sweet Baked Snacks business.

Location: Orrville, OH; Emporia, KS; or Columbus, GA (you can work at any of these locations)

Work Arrangements: 100% on-site, Travel is required, typically 40% - 60% (peak periods vary)

In this Role You Will:  

• Initiate, define and deliver operational savings projects to support SBA savings goals

  • Develop relationships with key technical resources in each manufacturing plant

  • Identify loss opportunities across SBA Operations

  • Partner with all Operations and all cross-functional partners to complete loss analysis and to identify opportunities.

  • Prioritize opportunities with business and align resources to highest potential projects

  • Champion increased standardization for ingredients, transformations, and equipment

  • Provide food science expertise to other team members enabling the delivery of projects and initiatives

  • Directly lead projects with greatest impact and/or highest complexity

• Own bakery science technical training for plant technical resources to build capability and knowledge in operations.

• Support and coach technical resources to complete CQV for TSO lead projects.

  • Partner with R&D to review new product and process CQV plans to ensure successful start-up in operations.

• Support delivery of Quality improvements

  • Resolution of quality issues at plants through root cause analysis

  • Coach plants to design quality issues out

• Partner with R&D to deliver robust solutions for initiatives

  • Actively participate in Technical Readiness reviews for initiatives

  • Review and provide input to process and formulation solutions proposed for initiatives, including potential problem analysis for scale-up

  • Engage with initiatives from the gate process through qualification

  • Develop and champion options to optimize capital requirements

• Act as Subject Matter Expert for formulation troubleshooting and technologies

  • Maintain relationships with key vendors

  • Evaluate improvements for application in our facilities

  • Support the SBS Engineering team and plant engineers in the development of site capital master plans

  • Develop and recommend opportunities for standardization across plants

• Work with other managers in JMS technical community to align on similar approaches to business practices.

• Speak for Operations at Technical Readiness and Gate Review meetings for the Sweet Baked Snacks businesses.

The Right Role for You 

We are bold, kind, strive to do the right thing, we play to win, and we believe in a strong community that thrives together. Our culture is rooted in our Basic Beliefs, and we believe in supporting every employee by meeting their physical, emotional, and financial needs. 

What We are Looking For:  

Minimum Requirements: 

• Bachelor’s degree required (Engineering or Food Science degree preferred)

• 7+ years of engineering or related food industry experience

• 5+ years of experience in Operations, R&D, and/or Engineering/TSO

• Fundamental understanding of food science / ingredient chemistry

• Problem solving: demonstrated ability to define a problem statement, identify root cause, and develop/implement systemic corrective actions

• Leadership: demonstrated ability to direct the efforts of a team including engaging team members and enabling the team’s success; ability to influence without authority

• Initiative: demonstrated ability to lead work effectively and independently given basic coaching and guidance

• Collaboration: must work effectively with individuals and teams across the organization

• Communication: demonstrated ability to communicate clearly and effectively verbally and in writing

Additional skills and experience that we think would make someone successful in this role:  

• B.S. Degree in Bakery Science or Engineering preferred

• Capital project and/or start up management experience

• Experience developing and executing CQV plans and qualifying ingredients / recipes / processes

• Familiarity with Prodika and TraceGains

Work Environment: This job operates in a manufacturing environment. The noise level in the work environment and manufacturing sites can be high.

Physical Demands:

• Regularly required to talk and hear.  

• Frequently required to stand; walk; use hands and fingers to handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms.

• Occasionally required to sit; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl.

• Able to lift objects up to 50 pounds frequently.

• May push and pull heavy trash carts, dough carts, portable equipment, and catch pans.

• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. 

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