R&D Baker Specialist

Cerelia Bakery Canada LP
Whitehall, Ohio
Full Time

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Position Profile

The R&D Baker Specialist is tasked with developing and refining bakery products, leading production trials, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality products to market. This role requires expertise to drive product innovation while ensuring the highest standards of taste, quality, and safety are consistently met.

Primary Responsibilities

Ingredient and Recipe Development : Perform benchtop trials to test ingredients and refine recipes, ensuring optimal quality and consistency.
Production Trial Oversight : Lead coordination efforts with Operations, Quality, Logistics, Maintenance, and Engineering teams to manage plant trials and oversee initial production runs.
Formula and Process Improvement : Evaluate trial and production results to suggest formula changes and process improvements, tackling any technical challenges that arise.
Scale-Up Transition : Guide the transition from bench and pilot-scale production to full-scale manufacturing by developing comprehensive batching procedures and process flows.
Risk Mitigation : Identify potential technical risks and assist in creating contingency plans to address challenges.
Product Evaluation and Shelf-Life Testing : Lead sensory evaluations and conduct shelf-life studies to ensure the products quality and longevity.
Data Recording and Trend Analysis : Document test procedures and results, analyze trends, and synthesize findings to support decision-making.
Cross-Functional Collaboration : Foster strong communication with all relevant teams to ensure project goals are aligned and met successfully.
Training and Knowledge Sharing : Educate Quality and Operations teams on new processes and procedures, facilitating knowledge transfer across departments.
Customer Engagement : Present new and existing products during customer meetings, provide assistance with customer inquiries, and address consumer complaints.
Lab and Storage Management : Maintain a safe, organized, and clean lab and storage area.
Compliance and Safety Adherence : Ensure all activities adhere to established programs, policies, and regulations, producing safe, high-quality products that meet SQF, regulatory, company, and customer standards.
Additional Duties : Perform other tasks as required by management to meet evolving business needs.
Requirements
Education and Experience : A background in bakery science, food technology, or a related field. At least 3 years of professional baking experience and 1+ year in the food industry is preferred.
Skills and Expertise :
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a hands-on approach.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
High energy and entrepreneurial spirit with the ability to work collaboratively as part of a team.
Strong organizational skills and a keen attention to detail.
Knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) is essential.
Work Environment Adaptability : Comfortable working in a dynamic, fast-paced environment with a desire to drive impactful change.
Personal Traits :
Exceptional organizational and troubleshooting skills with the ability to prioritize tasks effectively.
Strong critical thinking skills, especially in high-pressure environments.
High integrity and professionalism.
Working Environment
The position requires the ability to work in an office, lab, and production floor setting with a concrete floor.
Physical demands include extended periods of standing, walking, bending, twisting, and lifting safely.
Occasional climbing and the ability to lift, stack, and move objects weighing more than 40 lbs.
Potential hazards include proximity to moving mechanical parts, moving vehicles, electrical current, high heat, and chemicals.
Core Competencies
Creative Thinking: re-examining traditional strategies and practices, and proactively looking for new ideas and ways to improve products, services, and work processes. A Person with this competency looks at problems and opportunities from a unique perspective, seeing patterns and themes that are not immediately apparent to others and taking time to refine and shape a new idea so it has a higher likelihood of success.
Listening, Understanding & Responding: Demonstrates the ability to interact effectively with staff, other team members, customers and external contacts. Defers judgment on what someone is saying until they have they have thoroughly investigated; creates opportunities for meaningful discussion; builds rapport, trust and strong working relationships up, down and across organization.
Information Seeking: Investigates and researches information, digs to resolve discrepancies; obtains information or opinions internally and externally to gain insight or expertise makes well informed decisions.
Initiative: Initiates courses of action that will lead to improved performance/effectiveness of the Business Unit Team. Sees a need and takes action to address; questions the way things are done and initiates changes where necessary; sticks with an issue until it is resolved
Self-confidence: Willing to take on a new challenge or assignment displaying confidence and enthusiasm; emphasizes the positive and upside aspects of difficult situations every situation provides an opportunity for learning.
Results Orientated & Can Do Attitude: Strives to beat or meet project deadlines; sets own high standards for quality of work; seeks ways to use time and resources more cost effectively; highly organized with the ability to set priorities and multi-task.
Team Leadership: Works cooperatively with others promoting team participation as a means to generate more ideas, greater consensus & engagement, and a higher level of commitment to delivering results.