PFNA R&D Seasoning Lab Technician

This role is part of the Pepsico Food North America Seasoning R&D team. It is a R&D lab technician-based role that develops and commercializes new seasoning innovation and seasoning renovation. This role will report to Michael Oates, Director FLNA Region Seasoning, and will work closely with 8-10 seasoning developers, 2-3 seasoning commercializers/technicicans, and 2-3 contract lab technicians. This role is hands-on, and includes predominantly a R&D laboratory setting, but also includes manufacturing plant environment, as needed. The person in this role will learn to become a subject matter expert for lab seasoning and be the primary resource to coordinate the weekly schedule of demands to meet the innovation/renovation seasoning development team needs. This role is also a support role for full scale manufacturing seasoning for trade call production & seasoning development plant test support.

Accountabilities include: 

• Create consistent, 'gold standard' quality seasoned product samples for internal/external executives, customers, and seasoning developers.

• Provide key support and teamwork with seasoning commercializers, to produce and package at manufacturing scale, excellent quality trade call product samples.

• Act as lead technician for the scheduling, coordination, base/seasoning procurement, finished packaging, labelling, and shipping for all day-to-day required sample in the lab.

• Lead the creation of seasoned product samples for internal/external consumer sensory testing to advance development.

• Generate and execute POs for seasoning team.

• Comply with all World Class Lab and heightened Food Safety standards, using cleaning and organizational practices that keep condition/status of lab up-to-par or better.

• Support the recertification of seasoning quality at the end of shelf-life.

• Keep base/finished product and ingredient inventories organized and well managed.

• Manage analytical submission and communicate timely results.

• Lead and coordinate various activities/objectives with contractors and/or lead small team of temporaries to complete larger volume sample requests.

• Seamlessly integrate into a diverse team, taking input from multiple developers, and managing multiple requests/priorities under time constrained due dates.
  
  
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Qualifications/Requirements

• Willing and capable to frequently taste/sample products, discern product design/flavor attributes, and provide qualitative input into product/seasoning development, required

• Willingly to travel ~5-10%, required

• Experienced in R&D product development and/or seasoning development activities, processes, and systems, preferred

• Food Science, Chemistry, Biology, or other science based undergraduate degree, preferred

• Experience leading/supporting manufacturing tests or supporting line commissioning, a plus.

• Experience with seasoning system setup, operation, quality control, troubleshooting, etc. a plus.

• Ability to collaborate and work as a team with R&D peers, manufacturing plant partners, cross-functional partners, and external vendors.

• Ability to follow all Good Manufacturing Practices and specific Pepsico R&D EHS guidelines for food safety.

• No food allergies.

• Good organizational skills and satisfactory oral and written skills.

• Adaptable to changing priorities, ability to manage multiple priorities from multiple requesters, and work under pressure.

• Proactive in starting assignments, identifying opportunities/gaps, asking questions, and seeking solutions

• Self-motivated & customer oriented

• Basic Computer Skills (Outlook email, TEAMs, Zoom, Excel, Powerpoint, Word)
  
  COVID-19 vaccination is a condition of employment for this role. Please note that all such company vaccine requirements provide the opportunity to request an approved accommodation or exemption under applicable law.
  
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Relocation Eligible: Not Eligible for Relocation
Job Type: Regular


All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability status.

PepsiCo is an Equal Opportunity Employer: Female / Minority / Disability / Protected Veteran / Sexual Orientation / Gender Identity

Our Company will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and all other applicable laws, including but not limited to, San Francisco Police Code Sections 4901 - 4919, commonly referred to as the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance; and Chapter XVII, Article 9 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code, commonly referred to as the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance.