Flavorist, Foods - Geneva, IL

Position Overview

This role will work in the Food Business Unit. The Flavorist will independently create and evaluate flavors for a variety of products and provide great tasting and cost optimized flavors for Industrial Customers.

Primary Responsibilities

• Leading flavor creation in a variety of products
• Responsible for creation of sweet and savory flavor systems with key emphasis in savory flavors in all formats: liquid, encapsulation, and reaction flavors to meet the brief requirements
• Self-directing on complex projects including planning and leading cross-functional project teams, defining, and assessing project requirements and designing and managing experiments
• Closing collaboration with the McFONA analytical teams
• Provide support as an internal expert on projects performed in other groups within McCormick, with outside consultants, and / or with vendors
• Commercialization of flavors (understanding of processes and operations for product manufacture) and troubleshooting problems
• Offer Technical Support for formulations to Operation and Quality functions
• Interface and communicate project status with customers and commercial team
• Supervise and instruct lower-level employees
• Proactively evaluate and assess new ingredients and technologies and work to develop areas that may need improvement

Required Qualifications

• BS in Food Science/Technology, Food Engineering, Chemistry, or a related field
• Minimum 10 years of active flavor creation work
• Proven track record of commercial success in flavor and flavor application development
• In-depth understanding of ingredients and technology involved with flavor formation, application, and stability
• Expert in raw materials, manufacturing processes, quality assurance programs and food regulations. Working knowledge of AFFCO compliance for pet care flavors a plus
• Maintains up to date awareness of literature, influencing project direction and proposing new technology areas to pursue within field
• Ability to make presentations that cover technical topics, R&D capabilities, etc.
• Ability to manage risk in making critical decisions
• Ability to interpret data and solve complex problems with incomplete information
• Supports & embraces change while continuing to improve technical & interpersonal skills
• Shows awareness of opportunities for improving processes in area(s) of expertise and brings suggestions to appropriate teams. Generates & implements ideas to improve / optimize experimental routes
• Demonstrates a high level of scientific and practical ability to apply experimental design & application of scientific method
• Skilled in catalog of flavor raw materials and functionality, processing methods
• Experienced in commercialization of flavors in production, QA release and trouble shooting
• Effectively works well in a team and matrix environment and has excellent communication skills
• Has excellent ability in taste discrimination and flavor descriptor vocabulary
• Intellectual curiosity, flexibility, demonstrated aptitude for complexity and managing in a complex environment, an innovative imagination, and the ability to operate in "grey" space
• May need to travel up to 25% of the time to customers

Benefits

• Comprehensive health plans covering medical, vision, dental, life and disability benefits
• Family-friendly benefits such as paid parental leave, fertility benefits, Employee Assistance Program, and caregiver support
• Retirement and investment programs including 401(k) and profit-sharing plans

Location and Travel

Geneva, IL, US, 60134

May need to travel up to 25% of the time to customers