Senior Bakery Technician

About the role

The Technical Service Bakery Technician serves as the technical bridge between customers, Sales, and Research & Development. This role combines bakery expertise, customer support, and hands-on application development to identify customer challenges and translate them into practical formulation solutions. The position partners closely with Commercial, Marketing, Technical Service, and R&D teams to support customer trials, demonstrations, commercialization efforts, and new technology adoption. This individual must understand both bakery operations and ingredient functionality, enabling them to work directly with customers while helping R&D develop targeted solutions. Extensive travel (50%) will be required. High potential candidates with less experience may be considered for a role commensurate with their skills and work history.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary bakery application expert supporting customer-facing projects
• Translate customer challenges and operational needs into technical requirements for R&D formulation development
• Conduct bakery trials and demonstrations at customer facilities, trade shows, and Kemin laboratories
• Develop, test, and optimize bakery formulations utilizing Kemin ingredients
• Work closely with Sales teams to support current and prospective customer opportunities
• Evaluate customer formulations, processes, and operational challenges and recommend solutions
• Partner with Bakery Scientists to validate formulations and commercialize new technologies
• Manage bakery laboratory operations, organization, equipment readiness, and inventory as needed
• Perform physical, chemical, and sensory evaluations of bakery products
• Provide technical training and bakery application expertise to customers and internal teams
• Assist with product launches, commercialization activities, and technical documentation
• Coordinate external bakery trials and pilot plant activities when required
• Maintain awareness of bakery market trends, ingredient technologies, and competitive solutions

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Food Science, Bakery Science, or related field with 5-7 years of bakery production, product development, technical service, or bakery application experience OR Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Bakery Science, or related field with 7+ years of bakery production, product development, technical service, or bakery application experience
• Strong understanding of bakery processes, ingredients, formulation, and troubleshooting
• Experience conducting bakery trials and evaluating finished product quality
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Ability to work directly with customers and build strong technical relationships
• Willingness to travel up to 50%

Preferred qualifications

• Certified Master Baker or equivalent bakery-industry certification
• Knowledge of enzymes, dough conditioners, mold inhibitors, emulsifiers, and shelf-life technologies
• Experience supporting commercial bakeries and industrial production environments
• Customer-facing technical service experience
• Experience working for a bakery ingredient supplier or commercial bakery

Benefits

• Competitive Financial Package: Enjoy a rewarding salary, uncapped bonus opportunities, a 401k match program, and generous paid vacation and holidays
• Health and Wellness Support: Stay fit and healthy with our fitness reimbursement for the whole family, access to an on-site fitness center, a restaurant offering seasonal fresh food options, and free fresh fruit in break areas
• Career Development and Advancement: Unlock your potential with opportunities for growth and development throughout your entire career
• Continued Learning Opportunities: Grow your skills with our in-house learning platforms, offering thousands of training resources both live and online, and take advantage of tuition reimbursement for external post-secondary pursuits
• Service Opportunities: Make a positive impact with paid time off for service, partnerships with The World Food Programme and Habitat for Humanity, and local community initiatives