Senior Designer Culinary and Snacks

NATURE OF WORK/SCOPE OF POSITION

A Senior Designer exhibits independent application and project planning ability, seamlessly integrating creativity, innovation, and presentation skills to provide best in class support to IFF clients in the Culinary and Snack segments of the market.  The Senior Designer clearly displays strong finished product knowledge with excellent problem-solving abilities.  This individual should have a passion for food.

In this role, the Senior Designer works with established internal and external customer networks to share and leverage products and techniques in the associated category.  They act as a leader and collaborator to contribute to the regional and global technical strategic projects and innovation programs, working independently on tasks with responsibility for high value projects.
 

RESPONSIBILITIES

Project Management

• Proven time and project management skills.
• Partners with production and quality department to complete scale-up trials and support QA/QC with trouble shooting when necessary. 
• Independently navigates projects from start to finish and acts as a project leader in teams.
• High level knowledge of formula ingredients, raw materials, and their function.
• Continuously evolves and expands knowledge of ingredients and materials for Product Design.
• Leverage technical resources to drive growth via customer engagement, collaborating with Chefs, Flavorists, Seasoning Flavorists, Designers, and other Scientists. 
• Independently manages time and projects for assigned tasks.
• Develops work-plans to manage work for projects.
• Provide technical guidance on unusual or complex problems.
• Develops finished product formulations incorporating IFF technologies and meeting industrial standards, country specific and client requirements (profile, legal, cost and stability requirements).
• Demonstrates consistent significant commercial success year after year.
   

Innovation & Technology 

• Creates and executes training programs for technical and commercial staff.
• Anticipates, investigates, and resolves problems related to raw materials, solutions, finished prototypes and initial scale-up procedures.
• Proactive in using new ingredients, advancing technology, and utilizing IFF technology.
• Supports local and regional C&D and Category Growth Initiatives under direction from manager.
• Successfully demonstrates new technology in appropriate projects.
• Demonstrate a deep passion for full product design, creativity, science, collaboration, and networking with cross functional teams 
• Proficient in IFF Software and Databases
• Share knowledge of food and teach colleagues understanding of cooking fundamentals. 
• Demonstrates an understanding of IFF Innovation Programs and promotes them within the organization.
• Clear understanding and execution of IFF Innovation processes.
• May act as local Innovation subject matter expert.

Customer Intimacy & Technical Partnership 

• Strong understanding, communication, and contribution to IFF business strategy at a local, regional, and global level.
• Understands and communicates customer business strategy, brands, consumer preference and market trends.
• Provide technical services to customers as needed (plant trials, troubleshooting, and training).  
• Visits customers and presents technical information and taste and texture design concepts. 
• Develops strong relationships with aligned customers and related categories.
• Assist customers by participating in in-house visits, answering technical questions, and conducting seminars and presentations as assigned.
• Provides total solutions utilizing creative problem-solving skills.
• Strong creativity, innovation, and presentation skills.
• A valued partner with strategic customers and related categories.
   

Leadership 

• Shows positive attitude and passion.
• Mentors Trainees and more junior Designers and Chefs.
• Demonstrates ability to lead a cross-functional team.
• Inspires and build confidence in others to achieve targets.
• Demonstrates being a team player, a leader, and/or collaborator in high value projects.
   

REQUIREMENTS

Experience (Min Requirement)

• Minimum 10 years working experience in industrial food, ingredient, or flavor industry plus a minimum 5 years in the specific field of expertise.  Restaurant/Hospitality/Manufacturing of food.  Corporate Chef experience is also considered. 
• 2-3 years’ experience as leader in interdepartmental cross-functional team roles 
   

Academic Qualifications/Background

• Minimum entry level is a University/College Degree in Food Science and Technology or related disciplines (such as Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Biology)
• Culinary Training is a plus (Culinary Arts, Culinary Science, Culinology)

Communication      

• Strong communication (verbal and written), organizational and interpersonal skills are necessary
   

Travel

• Travel may be required up to 10% of the time to in person customer presentations or internal offsite presentations or collaborative sessions. 
   

Workplace

• This position is considered an Anchor and requires working in the lab/pilot plant for 5 days/week.