Senior Scientist - BeveragesKerry

• The Senior Scientist, Beverages for South Africa will work very closely with Sales, Business Development, Marketing, Application teams, and other key stakeholders to provide the best technical support to our customers. They will need to push existing portfolio, drive the development of new portfolio initiatives, and support sales and marketing effort to win with key customers. They will be required to build strong customer intimacy.

As a senior member of a RD&A team, they shall mentor and provide an adequate level supervision to Application technologists by providing technical leadership and mentoring.

Key responsibilities

• Conducts basic research for the improvement of existing products, and the development of new products, outlining procedures and specifications.
• Ensures that ingredient functionality into final products fits the purpose of the customer. 
• Oversees sensory tasting and application screening to support new solutions and sales.
• Implements industry recognised methods.
• Keeps up to date on best practice requirements, develops methods for analysis and provides insight into consumer trends.
• Responsible for product development from initiation to launch. Confers with product engineers, flavour experts, sales staff, marketing and End Use Market teams, suppliers, manufacturing, customer and packaging and marketing specialists to resolve problems.
• Develops beverage system formulations and related applications stability performance through demonstrated understanding of beverage formulation and chemical interactions.
• Interacts and troubleshoots with customers on application concerns.
• Fosters relationships with peers at key accounts, building the image of the company as a leader in the field.
• Develops application knowledge within assigned beverage categories and becomes recognised as a solutions partner by product developers. 
• Ensures applications are acceptable in the regional or global markets where sales are expected, including any special criteria such as organic, allergen and GM.
• Participates in designated RDA projects.
• Ensures appropriate documentation of experimental trials and outcomes to facilitate scale up and product transfer to manufacturing. 
• Ensures good laboratory practices and lab protocols are being met globally. 
• Evolves record documentation and methodology into appropriate database.
• Maintains the calibration of laboratory instruments, proper calibration records and laboratory supply stock.
• Documents all research notes in lab books and computer databases, documents key learnings from work.
• Maintains laboratory, including upkeep of equipment, stock of supplies and general cleaning of work areas.
• Actively participates and drives quality improvement of the function. 
• Builds further scientific knowledge through interaction with RDA managers and directors and/or academic reviews, literature reviews, regulatory monitoring and application studies. 
• Leverage relationships to identify potential new hires and/or resources that may be valuable to the company.
• Attend trade shows, conferences, scientific meetings and short courses as necessary, making credible presentations to educate customers, students and industry contacts.
• Provides coaching and mentoring to a team of scientists.

Qualifications and skills

• Completed Degree in Food Technology, Food Science or equivalent.
• Minimum 5 – 8 years of related experience in a similar position within the Food and Beverage industry, with a minimum of 3 – 5 years specialising in the Beverage industry.
• Computer literate
• Experience in building of Customer-Supplier relationships
• Background in product costing (advantageous)