**Job Description** **General Purpose:** Responsible for the development of co-dried and dry blended dairy/dairy flavors for for food and dairy industries from concept/opportunity through commercialization (at the customer). This person will be relied upon as an expert related to co-drying and dry blending including dairy science research, innovation, development, applications; relating to new product/solution development; but also, for formulation cost-out opportunities, process improvements, new technology scouting. Key driver of organic growth through monetization of the opportunity and innovation pipeline. **Job Duties and Responsibilities:** **Specific to Strategy:** + Research dairy science, food science and equipment for the purpose of innovating new technologies and the development of intellectual property (IP) for DFA + Develop new wet and dry dairy systems, dairy flavors, dairy emulsions and solutions using DFA’s plethora of ingredient options and manufacturing capabilities + Utilizing DFA’s expansive drying (and dry blending) network and capabilities to enhance the value of DFA’s dried dairy products using a “what can we do with what we have?” mentality. + Work with engineering and process technology to continuously expand DFA’s drying, dry blending, and agglomeration capabilities through discovery of new tech, equipment/process modification, and formulation + Reformulate products as appropriate to reduce cost including building least cost/flexible formulation models encompassing of the fluctuation commodity markets and raw material availability + Perform applications testing simulating the customer’s end-use to ensure the products developed exceed the customer’s expectations for taste, functionality, and nutrition + Utilize sensory science tools, available in the Innovation Center, to give data points to the customer demonstrating expectations are met/exceeded + Perform pilot plant testing to ensure a successful scale-up for DFA manufacturing and ultimately the end customer + Drive the commercialization of new products by partnering with the process technology team in the plants + Support the customer in scale up and commercialization to ensure DFA people and products are part of the scale up and launch + Effectively operate all pilot plant equipment required to properly scale-up and test in application + Develop effective concepts for benchtop sessions, in partnership with sales and marketing, to generate wins with customers + Support sales in determining customer needs, problems, insights, and strategy that would ultimately require a DFA solution + Proactively initiate action plans to develop the solutions and capabilities + Inspire and excite customers through demonstration of unique new products and applications that are relevant to their consumers + Partner with sales to understand customer’s future needs, their brands, and strategies to anticipate new areas of capability development and innovative ideas for end use categories + Provide technical and applications expertise to support the customer + Drive opportunities to commercialization internally and close with the customer + Co-create and effectively utilize the product lifecycle management (PLM) process and adhere to the Scientific Development Standards Process, including version control, development notes and documented learnings + Effectively utilize CRM (Salesforce.com) as a tool to manage status of the opportunities, project milestones in the pipeline and track KPIs related to the opportunity pipeline continually improving our R&D service to customers, ultimately leading to faster speed-to-market driving increased customer connectivity. + Collaborate with and influence technical sales, customer support and other stakeholders to “solve for yes” + Contribute to technical content and review presentations for sales and marketing + Provide effective, timely and relevant reporting to leadership + Apply strong knowledge of the DFA’s capabilities – including understanding the functional and technical aspects of the products and how DFA’s capabilities differentiate us from others in the industry + Demonstrate a “never stop learning” mindset and influence others to adopt this mindset + The requirements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employee, but is not a complete list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required. Other duties may be assigned as required **Requirements** **Minimum Requirements:** **_Education and Experience_** + B.S. Degree in food, dairy or biological science related discipline + Masters or PHD desirable + 8+ years of industry experience in R&D + Proven career advancement in dairy flavors, natural, process and cheese sauces and products + Demonstrated staff leadership attributes or staff management experience + Proven successful track record in new product development with multiple examples of commercialized products/solutions directly or under your leadership + Desired areas of expertise: + Co-drying and dry blending combinations of dairy, dairy flavors, seasonings, flavors, colors, and other ingredients + Seasoning and flavor development + Agglomeration and instantization of powders Dairy science **_Knowledge, Skills and Abilities_** + Food safety programs and food safety by design + Food regulatory & labeling laws including both: USDA & FDA + Strong leadership and team building abilities + Exceptional communication skills + Ability to solve complex customer demands and problems + Self-driven and committed to hands on work habits + Ability to initiate, drive and adapt to change + Ability to balance heavy workload and manage multiple tasks + Must have the ability and capability to interact and communicate with the most senior levels of the organization + Able to read, write, and speak English **Travel:** ☒15%-25% (1-2 times per quarter) An Equal Opportunity Employer