Senior Research Scientist, Chocolate

Job Location: Hershey, PA

Summary: 

Reporting to the R&D Manager, Kit Kat & Variety and working at The Hershey Company’s Technical Center, the Senior Research Scientist Chocolate position provides project leadership on multiple medium complexity projects and/or is beginning to lead a program with support. This could include a high number of low to medium complexity projects that drive leadership complexity. A medium to high level of autonomy on medium complexity projects and low to medium level of autonomy for high complexity projects is required. This individual is beginning to teach others technical knowledge in some spaces and has a focus on developing technical breadth. A successful candidate is communicating project and/or program challenges to senior leadership with the ability to have some influence on project/program direction through cross-functional communication.

Specific Role Focus Area: 
• Lead product development projects which provide innovative new products in the Chocolate space.  These areas include formulation development, ingredient development, process development, capacity expansion, supply continuity, and product transformation interactions.
• Perform prototyping and development from bench top to pilot plant to full manufacturing scale.
• Interact closely with a cross-functional group of technical, professional, and managerial staff of R&D, as well as production, engineering, and marketing. 
• Understand the business and financial impact of the projects.
• Apply technical rigor and scientific principles and practices.
• Provide input for technical feasibility for new product concepts.
• Partner with Supply Chain to provide technical support to drive quality and value improvement in both products and processes.

This role will interact and partner with: 
• Marketing
• Manufacturing
• Engineering
• Quality and Regulatory
• Project Management
• Technology Development

Approximately 25-40% travel required, both in the US and Internationally.

Minimum knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform major duties/responsibilities:  
• Experience leading innovation initiatives, which could include product development, quality improvement, cost improvement, technology validation and process optimization.
• Demonstrated ability to learn new technical knowledge and apply it during development and commercialization processes.  Specific technical knowledge in chocolate is a plus.
• Demonstrated experience in learning and applying process platforms
• Strong knowledge of various technical disciplines (Sensory, Research, Engineering)
• Knowledge of key steps in the development of capital projects, including commercialization, equipment selection, creation of transformational flow diagrams, equipment acquisition, commissioning and start-up of process equipment and systems, and troubleshooting
• Understanding of the impact of the key processing parameters in the conversion of raw ingredients and in-process material to finished product and critical for the day-to-day operation of a line
• Demonstrated influencing skills
• Proven administrative ability, decision-making skills, financial understanding, business integration skills, and technical expertise
• Demonstrated problem solving and evaluation capabilities
• Excellent troubleshooting skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Must be open to and comfortable with change
• The candidate much be able to work independently and as part of a team in a fast-paced, growth-oriented business

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements:  
Education and Experience: PhD in Food Science, Ag/Bio/Food Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Biology or related field with 0-2 years of experience, MS in 2-4 years related experience, or BS with 4-6 years of experience. Experience in Chocolate Production and/or Innovation, and experience in a CPG environment is a plus. 

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