Job Location: Hershey, PA
 

Summary:

Reporting to the Director, Salty R&D, and working at the The Hershey Company’s Technical Center, the Research Assistant position provides project assistance in high and medium complexity projects with support or leads workstreams within larger projects with guidance and support. A successful candidate has knowledge of how to manufacture a wide portfolio of products on a benchtop scale and to run the associated lab and pilot plant equipment. This candidate has basic food science knowledge and demonstrates basic cross-functional communication and communication focused to project leader and management.
 
Specific Role Focus Area: (what is this person doing?) 
• Benchtop development that draws upon experiences in food science and/or engineering skills
• Pilot plant testing
• Equipment assembly and preparation
• Support in-plant initiatives such as trials, sales sample production, and start-ups
• Identify project support needs 
• Partner with project leaders on planning and execution
• Data entry, basic calculations, and leverage computer applications
 
This role will interact and partner with: 
• Scientists
• Engineers
• Pilot plant operations
 
Must be willing to travel up to 15% of the time.

Major Duties/Responsibilities:  
Project support:  Operate standard experimental testing or processing equipment in the laboratory to prepare and package products, and record and tabulate data .  Assist with pilot plant scale up testing by preparing ingredients, packaging materials, and processing equipment, assisting with the equipment operation, collecting and tabulating data, and post test cleanup.
Project leadership:  With minimal supervision, leads small projects or segments of larger projects.  Manages timelines and deliverables, plans and executes experiments with autonomy, oversees temporary labor deliverables and coordination, manages communication of status and results to the team and supervisors.
Lab maintenance:  Responsible for organization, cleanliness and sanitation of team laboratory workspaces.  Maintain inventory of ingredients and supplies.  Maintain regulatory compliance through entry of ingredient/packaging information in the lot tracking database.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements:  
Education and Experience: GED/HSD with min 3-4 years related experience, or BS in non-related field with no experience; Technical/professional certification preferred.

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