Sensory Panel Manager

Job Description

As a Panel Manager, you will be working onsite at our client’s R&D facility in Clark, New Jersey. As the first point of contact for our client’s R&D team, you will be responsible for panel, project and lab management.

Sensory Lab & Operational Management

• Manage daily operations of the sensory laboratory, ensuring readiness, organization, and compliance.
• Oversee sample handling, preparation, storage, and disposal according to protocols.
• Define and maintain reference materials for all attributes of interest.
• Schedule quarterly partnership reviews.
• Schedule projects with panel and create session plans, according to priorities from the client.
• Inform the client as soon as possible if there are any issues with the project, products, materials, etc.
• Ensure timely scheduling and execution of all sensory sessions to meet agreed turnaround times.
• Present partnership updates and progress to date, including reporting on panel activities, panel performance and other KPIs.

Panel Management & Performance

• Lead panel recruitment, onboarding, training, and calibration.
• Train panel coordinators on the clients ways of working.
• Maintain high levels of panelist engagement and motivation through structured feedback.
• Address panelist performance or conduct issues in a timely and professional manner.

Sensory Study Execution

• Implement sensory studies according to approved methodologies and research plans.
• Collaborate with internal teams to ensure proper study setup and execution.
• Create annual validation training and reports for each of the product categories.
• Quality check sensory data.
• Run the panel sessions, including training the panel and collecting the data.
• Create online questionnaires using FIZZ.
• Regularly monitor panel performance, notify the client team of any issues regarding performance or variability in the data.
• Ensure data accuracy, consistency, and reliability prior to analysis and reporting.
• Support interpretation and discussion of results with the client’s sensory team as needed.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, coach, and support Panel Leaders and Technicians.
• Coordinate daily task allocation and workload management.
• Support onboarding and training new team members.
• Foster a culture of quality, accountability, and continuous improvement within the lab team.

Continuous Improvement & Sustainability

• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, consistency, and quality of sensory operations.
• Contribute to the standardization and optimization of onsite sensory processes.