R&D Scientist – Strategic Growth Channels

The Role:

As the R&D Scientist you will be supporting Meati’s foodservice and strategic growth channels, you will be responsible for providing technical and culinary expertise and leadership to functional groups to directly influence business objectives. You will work with our commercial and culinary team to design, develop and implement leading core and platform innovations that showcase the versatility of Meati. In this job you will work closely with key foodservice partners to design products and concepts that work with their kitchen capabilities. You will also be responsible for conducting experiments, compiling data, developing preliminary findings and prepare written reports for the development of new products from conception through successful commercialization. You will drive project timelines and work cross functionally to assure flawless execution of key business initiatives. This position will report directly to the Senior Director of R&D Innovation with the opportunity to grow the team as business needs require.

Responsibilities:

• Oversee and lead the development of new foodservice products from concept through successful scale-up and channel commercialization.
• Liaise directly with customers to facilitate understanding customer driven new products, new business opportunities, and any sensitive quality issues.
• Develop data bank of key foodservice account performance criteria and product application conditions.
• Evaluate customer quality issues or product opportunities under standard and/or specific customer applications.
• Effectively communicate the nature of issues and opportunities to internal teams to facilitate a rapid customer satisfaction.
• Create product development schedules that meet project timelines and milestones.
• Plan, prioritize, and complete project and work tasks under limited supervision.
• Work with pilot plant and commercial scale equipment.
• Work with key foodservice partners to assure preparation and heating validations are completed and feasible. 
• Design and execute experiments and prepare results for review.
• Conceptualize and develop new product prototypes and recipe development.
• Organize and lead product tastings.
• Collaborate with cross-functional leaders, including other functional groups within R&D including packaging, food safety, and labeling teams.
• Maintain a clean, organized, and safe work area
• Ability to manage and organize multiple projects under tight deadlines.
• Work closely with the Executive Chef on new product concepts and foodservice strategies
• Scout the capabilities to enable faster and more efficient commercialization.
• Lead trend treks and innovation sprints.
• Must travel in place of the Executive Chef to showcase Meati and all the innovation possibilities
• Must be a brand ambassador representing Meati in the most professional and compelling way
• Other duties include keeping track of product inventory by setting up time to make additional products for shipments, customers, and/or internal leadership team
• Support culinary recipe development for foodservice partners
• Cooking instruction validation
• Researching food trends and innovations/competitor analysis – through conferences, magazines, textbooks or personal experimentation
• Presenting - to clients, prospective customers and at trade-shows
• Ability to maintain a clean, orderly, and hygienic workspace with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) standards.
• Ability to maintain all quality standards and safety set for production at the Meati R&D facility

Qualifications:

• Must possess an Associate degree or higher from an accredited college, university, culinary school or other institute of higher learning with an emphasis in Food Science, Food Production, Culinary or a related field. A Bachelor’s is highly preferred.
• 4+ years’ experience in a CPG product development, culinary kitchen, and food manufacturing
• Strong understanding of food science, process development, and culinary arts
• Good cooking & presentation skills with a good sense of taste & smell; sensory training a plus
• Strong work ethic. Good communication and interpersonal skills to present products at tastings and interact within leadership and teams
• Ability to be adaptable and flexible in a fast paced continuously changing environment
• Must be a creative thinker who can develop new and exciting ways to provide value to our product
• Ability to prioritize tasks in a busy work environment
• Communicate effectively and demonstrate a willingness to ask questions before proceeding with uncertainty
• Strong leadership and proactive attitudes in approaching technical solutions to business and market issues.
• Great negotiating skills when working through conflict resolution.
• Great presentation skills, both oral and written.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office software.
• May travel up to 30% of time. Must be able to travel independently and as a responsible Meati Foods representative.

Physical & Mental Requirements:

Must have the endurance to frequently lift and move 10-50 pounds, stand, sit, walk, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, bend, talk, hear, see, and operate food products in a kitchen & manufacturing environment. Food must be an absolute passion!

Compensation:

Range is $70-110K, including a potential annual bonus and equity. Actual pay will be adjusted based on experience.