Job Summary

The IFF Nutrition & Biosciences plant located in Madison, Wisconsin, USA manufactures a variety of food products and ingredients used in everyday foods, many of them found in local grocery stores including: starter cultures used in the production of cheese, yogurt, buttermilk, sour cream; probiotic cultures used in dietary supplements for their health promoting effects on the digestive and immune systems of humans and animals; and other food ingredients such as natural antioxidants and preservatives for food preservation and enzymes used in cheese manufacturing.

We are looking for a Scientist II to join our Process R&D Probiotics, Cultures, Food Protection Team. The candidate selected will be responsible for new product execution and productivity improvements for our Probiotics Health Business. This position will have knowledge of fermentation, scale-up and microbial physiology. This role will consult with stakeholders within R&D, Manufacturing Technology, Operations, Supply Chain and Quality Assurance to improve productivity and performance of current strains and commercialize new products.

Lead lab-scale development and implementation of cost-effective manufacturing conditions (formulation and process) impacting cell yield, stability or quality for selected microbial strains, with special focus on formulation and freeze-drying processes.Manage projects by providing clear definition, evaluating tasks, planning, coordinating, and following-up to assure proper completion.Coordinate the scale-up of experimental products and processes by working directly with the operators/supervisors and other Process R&D team members. This will be done through personal presence at the plant and working directly with operators/supervisors and writing reports summarizing results of the trial.Ensure accurate execution and implementation of lab work by designing experiments, conducting experiments/trials, analyzing results and reporting results.Follow process data and product quality after industrialization. Perform statistical analysis on lab/pilot/industrial performance and communicate performance trends.Investigate product deviations and provide technical assessments.Support product transfers from site to site and to contract manufacturers.Evaluate and troubleshoot problems that may arise in new processes or in established processes. Serve as a technical resource to the manufacturing facilities to provide input and direction on important product/process/quality issues and support continued product quality improvement.Flexibility to support occasional off-hour coverage including weekends.Communicate results of experiments with colleagues and Business stakeholders through presentation and technical documentation.Literature search and interpretation.

A successful candidate will possess the following:

Bachelor’s degree in Biochemical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Industrial Microbiology, Biochemistry or related field with minimum of 7+ years of related work experience or Master’s degree with minimum of 3+ years of related work experienceUnderstanding of microbial fermentations (lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria physiology preferred), freeze-drying and/or spray-drying technology, and process equipment function.Ability to independently design, carry-out, and report the results of scientific experiments.Experience and understanding of various analytical equipment/methods (HPLC, Gallery, Flow Cytometry, etc.) preferred.Project leadership and project management experience including project planning, project execution, and stakeholder alignment.Strong communication (verbal and written), organizational, and interpersonal skills.

We are a global leader in taste, scent, and nutrition, offering our customers a broader range of natural solutions and accelerating our growth strategy. At IFF, we believe that your uniqueness unleashes our potential. We value the diverse mosaic of the ethnicity, national origin, race, age, sex, or veteran status. We strive for an inclusive workplace that allows each of our colleagues to bring their authentic self to work regardless of their religion, gender identity & expression, sexual orientation, or disability.

Visit IFF.com/careers/workplace-diversity-and-inclusion to learn more