Food Scientist

Food Scientist - Kenny's Candy & Confections Location: Onsite in Perham, MN – office out at Kenny's Candy Facility. Compensation Total Compensation Range: $60,000 to $105,000 Base Pay: $55,000 to $85,000 Year 1 Bonus Guarantee: $5,000 to $20,000 Profit Sharing Eligibility: Begins after 1 year of employment Benefits Health, Dental, & Vision Wellness program discounts – up to $150 discounted towards health insurance monthly 80 Hours of PTO Accrued in First Year of Employment 7 Paid Holidays KLN Clinic – Free doctor visits & more than 300 free prescriptions 401k Match Opportunity Opportunity to meet with our onsite financial advisors $10,000 Forgivable Home Grant Program Tuition Assistance Situational Relocation Profit Sharing In the most recent fiscal year, KLN Family Brands contributed over $7.7 million into the employee profit sharing pool. The Opportunity The Food Scientist plays a critical role in driving innovation and ensuring product excellence at KLN Family Brands. This position is responsible for developing new product formulations that align with market trends and consumer expectations, while also supporting the research and development (R&D) process from concept to commercialization. Responsibilities Prepare for and represent Kenny’s Candy & Confections with customers, trade organizations, and trade meetings and conventions. Work with customers to meet their needs regarding flavor, nutritional, and label claims. Develop new products that follow regulatory and market trends. Maintain relationships with suppliers and utilize their insight to develop new products and troubleshoot existing issues. Maintain relationships with industry associations and regulatory trends. Prepare all necessary reports as required by customers. Develop and maintain formulation strategies for existing and new product development. Understand the synergy between/among functional ingredients. Understand processing parameters and effects on ingredients. Understand scale-up process from benchtop to production. Utilize consistent formulation calculations/tools. Support and complete benchtop samples including analytical equipment and data collection tools. Provide and update R&D laboratory tools, utensils, supplies, etc. Work with the purchasing department/suppliers to ensure necessary materials/ingredients are in house for benchtop samples. Request necessary paperwork, logistical information and pricing to determine applicability of material for project needs. Organize and retain benchtop and trial samples for further review and shelf life analysis. Coordinate, manage, monitor, and document plant trials. Understand the transfer of formulas from benchtop to line trial. Provide paperwork & instructions to production team to run production line trials. Collect data, samples, and attend to detail during production line trials and first production runs. Organize and file collected data for future reference. Work on current formulations to make any changes as directed by management teams. Support nutritional and labeling strategy and proof labeling information. Determine appropriate nutritional database and maintain administrative relationship. Work side by side & when necessary provide assistance as needed to other Food Techs and R&D Application Specialists. Create first draft tentative nutritional labels when necessary. Maintain proofing standards according to the FDA’s Code of Federal Regulations. Proof and review nutritional panels for packaging. Communicate with other departments and other R&D team members to work strategically through projects. Prepare all necessary reports required by department heads. Communicate with sales team on project timelines and updates. Utilize change process management project tools to update projects & manage timelines. Additional Responsibilities Assist Food Technologist & R&D Application Specialist on projects as time allows. Continue additional ingredient education and model current processing systems. Assist in sourcing and trialing new ingredients as needed. Set up and operate equipment needed for sample production. Use ingredients knowledge, processing experience, and project goals to define processing specifications in conjunction with the quality department. Assist with product issues (processing, formulation, quality, etc.) with the understanding of scientific principles to prove root cause and provide processing or formulation solutions. Qualifications A BS degree, or higher, in Food Science. Experience formulating Candy. 2 years of hands‑on experience in Food Science within the food industry, contributing to product development. Understanding multi‑ingredient functionality. Experience in new product development and formulations. Self‑Motivated. Excellent computer skills. Excellent communication and organizational skills. Ability to work well with others. *This opportunity is contingent upon successful completion of a drug test and background check. #J-18808-Ljbffr